KCR fires fresh salvo against Centre, says Telangana discriminated

Centre is conspiring to weaken the states financially, Rao alleged while Rahul Gandhi said Telangana was born out of people's aspirations for a better future, but it has suffered from 'misgovernance'

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday greeted the people of Telangana on its formation day while Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao showcased the achievements of his government as a role model and alleged that the Centre discriminated against Telangana.

The central government is conspiring to weaken the states financially, Rao alleged while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said Telangana was born out of people's aspirations for a better future, but it has suffered from 'misgovernance'.

Telangana Formation Day was celebrated in a grand manner across the state. Apart from the state government, political parties, including ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi, opposition BJP and Congress, and several other outfits organised a string of programmes. Rao alleged that the NDA government at the Centre discriminated against Telangana since its formation and went on to list several issues like merger of Telangana's 7 mandals with Andhra Pradesh. The Centre has miserably failed in procuring the paddy cultivated in Telangana and it has washed off its hands, he alleged.

He recalled that he held a protest in Delhi against the Centre's "adamant attitude" over paddy procurement. Highlighting the achievements of the state government during the past eight years, the Chief Minister said Telangana's Gross State Domestic Product more than doubled to Rs 11.55 lakh crore during the last eight years after the state was formed in 2014, besides showing similar trend in per capita income which is pegged at Rs 2.79 lakh in 2021 from 1.24 lakh in 2014. Telangana is the only state in the country, which is supplying 24-hour uninterrupted quality power for all the sectors and free electricity to the farmers said and the state has emerged as a role model for other states in various spheres, he said.

When the state was formed, the installed capacity of power generation was only 7,778 MWs. With the efforts put in by his dispensation the same is now at 17,305 MWs. Addressing the Telangana State Formation Day celebrations here, the Chief Minister targeted the Centre, over 'politics of hate' and said it would take the country backwards by 100 years. "The government currently in power at the Centre is based on the frivolous doctrine of "strong Centre - weak states".

Alleging that the union government is conspiring to weaken the states financially, he said the Centre is shifting taxes in the form of cess to evade the constitutionally due share of the states from the taxes levied by the Centre. It is a known fact that the Centre is squandering crores of rupees due to the states, he alleged, adding that the union government is arbitrarily imposing various kinds of sanctions, undermining the economic freedom of the states. Though the Centre insisted that the states abide by the provisions of FRBM, it did not do so, Rao said. The Centre's attitude has become a stumbling block for states like Telangana, which maintains financial discipline by managing loans and investment expenditure within FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management) limits, he said. "I demand that the Centre immediately reconsider and immediately lift the economic sanctions imposed on the states and stop any further violation of the rights of the states," he said. Telangana is losing Rs 5,000 crore every year as it refused to implement the "anti-farmers" power reforms of the Centre. In five years, the state lost Rs 25,000 crore, Rao said. On the overall national political scenario, he said the country does not have a common aim. The country is drifting like a boat, which had no anchor. "Even after 75 years of independence why we still have poverty?" he asked. It is not about a political front replacing another at the Centre, and only a progressive agenda that could steer the country out of its problems is needed. The country is in a dangerous situation due to the politics of hate. "There is no other discussion or debate in the country other than the religious madness. People's needs took a backstage. It is dangerous to gain political advantage out of communal clashes," he said. President Kovind greeted the people of Telangana on its statehood day, and said the state has made commendable progress on development indicators and emerged as a hub of industries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the people of Telangana and said they are synonymous with hardwork and unparalleled dedication to national progress. Rahul Gandhi, targeting the ruling TRS said during the last 8 years the state has suffered from extreme misgovernance.

He reaffirmed his party's commitment to build a glorious Telangana, a model state focused on bringing prosperity.

Rao hoisted the National Flag and paid homage to martyrs who sacrificed their life for the sake of separate statehood cause.