Centre not releasing enough funds for Telangana: Eatala

Finance Minister Eatala Rajender has accused the Central Government of not releasing adequate funds to Telangana State for various developmental programmes.

Addressing a press conference at the State Secretariat on Saturday, Eatala said that the despite shortage of Central funds, the State Government was effectively implementing all the welfare schemes and other programmes. He said that the Central Government reduced Rs. 120 crore for Telangana under Open School scheme. It remained silent when the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) withheld Rs. 1274 crore belonging to Telangana Government towards recovery of arrears of AP Beverages Corporation. It did not respond to the State’s plea for financial assistance of Rs. 31,000 crore for the Water Grid project.

Eatala said that the State Government would strive hard to get funds from the Centre and it would not hesitate to use pressure tactics to get required financial assistance. He said that the Telangana Government was ready to take loans from the World Bank on less interest rates. He said that the World Bank would impose some conditions to grant loans.

The Finance Minister also clarified that the cheap liquor policy was not aimed at increasing revenues. Instead, the State Government will suffer losses due to the new policy. (INN)