PaperDabba News Desk: July 23, 2024
KTR Reacts Sharply to Union Budget: Telangana Neglected Again
Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Working President KTR, reacted sharply to the Union Budget, expressing his deep displeasure over the lack of significant allocations for Telangana” “We expected Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who hails from Telugu roots, to allocate substantial funds to Telangana. But what we received is nothin”,” he said.
KTR lamented that despite the Union Government presenting a budget of ₹48 lakh crore, only a few states were prioritized. He expressed his disappointment that Telangana was not mentioned at all, stating that once again, Telangana has been left with zero allocations.
Neglect of Telangana by the Central Government
KTR pointed out that Chief Minister KCR had previously urged the Centre to fulfil nearly 35 promises made under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, but the Centre did not respond. He added that the Centre ignored requests for additional funds for Mulugu University, Bayyaram Steel Plant, and a Railway Coach Factory in Kazipet.
He criticized the Centre for not granting national status to the state’s irrigation projects despite repeated requests. KTR mentioned that Telangana had asked for National Institutes like IIM, but none were allotted to the state, which he found very disappointing.
Special FundsTelangana’s Requests Denied
KTR noted that despite seeking funds for industrial corridors like Mumbai-Nagpur and Bengaluru-Chennai from Telangana, the Centre did not respond. He said that the Central Government also ignored requests to establish a Mega Power Loom Cluster and a new Handloom Cluster.
He expressed his frustration that even the appeals made by the Chief Minister and Ministers during their visits to Delhi were neglected, leading to another zero allocation for Telangana in the Union Budget.
Failure of National Parties
KTR called on the people of Telangana to reflect on what happened when they gave 16 seats to national parties like BJP and Congress. He highlighted that states like Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, with 16 seats, received substantial funds, urging Telangana citizens to consider this disparity. He emphasized the need for self-political strength as the proper protection for Telangana, a lesson reinforced by this incident.
He pointed out that BJP and Congress MPs from Telangana did not speak up in Parliament. He argued that if MPs from Telangana Rashtra Samithi were present, they would have vehemently opposed the Centre’s indifferent stance towards Telangana.
Response to AndhrPradesh’s’s Allocations
KTR stated that Telangana has no issue with Andhra Pradesh receiving more funds and wishes them as well as neighbouring states. However, he expressed concern over the neglect of the other 26 states, calling it genuinely disappointing.
He reiterated that edemands were ignored very time the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act was mentioned, He concluded that these events clearly show the need for Telangana to stand as a strong political entity.
All these incidents highlight the necessity for Telangana to strengthen its own political power.
