HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi to limit Centre’s role to larger issues facing India.
“The country is facing a lot of challenges in the areas of external affairs, defence and macro-economics. Therefore, in the changing global scenario, Centre should continue to give due attention to those issues and at the same time leave more space to States to do work in sectors like health, education, agriculture and rural development,” KCR told Modi in no uncertain terms, while requesting the latter to remove the ‘rigidity’ of certain Centre-sponsored schemes “that curtail the initiatives of the State governments.”
KCR, who has been making efforts to form a Federal Front at national level to get more autonomy for States, addressed the fourth meeting of the governing council of NITI Aayog held in Delhi on Sunday. He said fast-growing states should be encouraged by Centre by providing them tax incentives and more funds.
Listing out various welfare measures being implemented for farmers in the State including Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bhima Yojana, KCR told Prime Minister and Chief Ministers of other States that the country needs to focus on agriculture and allied activities.