HYDERABAD: Gross injustice has been done to the state in the Union Budget, alleged Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.
Speaking to reporters here on Sunday, Bhatti said that people hoped that there would be something for Telangana in the Union Budget.
He recalled that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, along with ministers, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union ministers several times in the past and submitted representations.
“We expected projects like the Musi River rejuvenation project, Regional Ring Road (RRR) and Metro Rail Phase-II to be included in the Union Budget. But we drew a blank,” he said.
“The Centre said it is focusing on bio-pharma. At least in that, Telangana should have been considered. But there is nothing for Telangana in bio-pharma either,” Bhatti said.
Noting that Hyderabad is already a pharmaceutical hub with dedicated chemical parks, the deputy chief minister pointed out that the city was not included even in the announcement of chemical parks.
Referring to the Union Budget’s focus on affordable sports goods, Bhatti said Telangana has been prominently highlighted in the state’s Vision Document and has already established a Sports University. However, he noted that the state found no mention in the Budget even in this sector.
“Hyderabad is the centre for the “orange economy,” but that too has been shifted to Mumbai. What mistake has Telangana committed?” Bhatti wondered.
The Union Budget mentioned a regional medical hub, but the state found no place in it either, he lamented.
No funds for state tourism sector, says deputy CM
Expressing disappointment over Centre’s silence on the Musi River Rejuvenation Project, he recalled meeting the prime minister and several Union ministers seeking funds the project. “We expected a lot but got nothing,” he remaked.
Though the Ramappa temple has been recognised by UNESCO, Bhatti Vikramarka said the Centre had adopted a step-motherly attitude towards the state in budgetary allocations, with no funds earmarked for the tourism sector.
Despite Telangana having important temples and rich forest cover, the Centre ignored the state in the tourism sector, he said. He added that while the Centre had assured it would consider the state government’s proposals in the semiconductor sector, there was no announcement on that front either. The Union government should provide assistance for setting up a semiconductor facility, but no allocations were made, he said.
He said that there was no focus on welfare in the Union Budget and even the employment guarantee scheme was weakened. Diluting the employment-providing scheme and reducing the Centre’s share to 60:40 for states is highly deplorable, Vikramarka said.
MPs from the state, cutting across party lines, should meet the Union finance minister and demand reasonable budget allocations for Telangana, he said. Though three high-speed rails (HSRs) were announced for Hyderabad, what was required for the economic growth was not provided in the Budget, he said pointing out that trains were required only after the economic growth.