HYDERABAD: The Telangana Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Department received a major jolt on Tuesday as it did not receive any project or specific funds in the Union Budget 2022-23. MAUD Minister K T Rama Rao had recently written Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman seeking an allocation of Rs 7,778 crore in the Budget for various developmental works.
Stating that the total cost of the various MAUD projects is over Rs 48,634 crore, Rama Rao sought Rs 7,778 crore for the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS), Strategic Road Development Programme, Strategic Nala Development Programme, missing link roads, Sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs), Warangal Metro Neo Project and others. However, no allocations have been made for these. While the preliminary estimates of the MRTS is Rs 3,050 crore, Rama Rao had requested the Centre to sanction 15 per cent of the project cost (Rs 450 crore).
“The non-allocation of funds exposes a short-sighted view of the Centre. The Centre has rendered injustice to Telangana,” Mayor Gadwal Vijayalaxmi said.