Hyderabad: Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) working President K.T. Rama Rao on Saturday termed the Union Budget 2019-20 as “disappointing and insipid” from Telangana’s perspective.
In a series of tweets, Rama Rao criticized the budget saying it completely ignored the state.
KTR, as Rama Rao is popularly known, said while the Economic Survey praised Telangana’s initiatives, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman completely ignored a performing state’s requests for support.
Son of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao, KTR said that the Niti Aayog lauded Mission Kakatiya (lake restoration and strengthening) and Mission Bhagiratha (drinking water grid) and recommended to the Centre to allocate Rs 24,000 crore to these schemes of Telangana.
“Strangely, not even Rs 24 is allocated by the Finance Minister,” he said.
“Telangana has repeatedly demanded national project status for either Kaleshwaram or Palamuru lift irrigation projects on various forums. No mention or even acknowledgement. Are Telangana’s projects not in the interest of our nation?” he asked Sitharaman.
KTR said even after five years of the formation of Telangana, there was no mention of the AP Bifurcation Act promises like integrated steel plant at Bayyaram, Rail Coach factory at Warangal and a Tribal University.
Pointing out that life sciences and pharma, information technology and textiles are three important sectors for Telangana, he said the budget offered no support for the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park, there was no mention of ITIR for Hyderabad. “The support is also zero for pharmaceutical and life sciences sector for which Hyderabad is a hub.”
On the hike in petrol and diesel prices, KTR reminded the Finance Minister of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments on a similar hike when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
KTR posted Modi’s tweet, in which he reacted to a hike in fuel prices. “Massive hike in petrol prices is a prime example of Congress-led UPA. This will put a burden of hundreds of crores on Gujarat,” Modi had tweeted.
[source_without_link]IANS[/source_without_link]