KT Rama Rao wants Budget to fulfil Telangana demands

Rama Rao added that his request for allocating more electronic manufacturing clusters in Telangana too did not evoke any response from the Centre.
IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao takes a selfie with attendees at the FTCCI Excellence Awards on Saturday
IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao takes a selfie with attendees at the FTCCI Excellence Awards on Saturday

HYDERABAD: Dissatisfied with the Centre’s silence on the Telangana government’s various infrastructural and industrial demands, IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao on Saturday hoped that the upcoming Union Budget 2021 gives a boost to the State’s longpending demands. Speaking at the FTCCI’s Excellence Awards, Rama Rao said, “I hope that when the Budget is announced, there is a good stimulus package through which the economy can get back on track, and the country’s GDP, which has been slipping for the last 12 quarters, can improve.”

He also hoped that the Centre ‘boosts’ the various demands the State government has been making in the form of representations made by him for the last few years. Rama Rao said he has written numerous letters to the Centre regarding the need for industrial corridors (between Hyderabad- Nagpur, Hyderabad-Warangal and Hyderabad-Ramagundam), among other matters. he wishes to hear some announcement in this regard.

The Minister’s ire towards the Central government did not stop there — he shifted focus towards the Pharma City and the Warangal Textile Park, for which he has sought support. “The whole world is talking about how the manufacturing processes will shift from China. If India is to become a manufacturing destination, we have to focus on scale. The Pharma City will be built on 19,000 acres, it will be the biggest in the world and we will be able to compete with China. Similarly, Warangal has the country’s biggest textile park. Unfortunately, the Government of India does not support either the Pharma City nor the textile park,” he said.

Union Mins praising TS mere lip service: KTR

Rama Rao added that his request for allocating more electronic manufacturing clusters in Telangana too did not evoke any response from the Centre. A sarcastic Rama Rao reasoned the absence of support from the Centre towards the representation Telangana has in Parliament. “In India, nowadays, it’s all a game of numbers. If you have 80 seats (in Parliament), you will rule. Unfortunately, we have only 17, so that is why this is happening.” The Minister took a potshot at Union Ministers who visit the State and applaud the government’s various initiatives, terming it as ‘mere lip service’.

“Whenever a Central government Minister comes to Telangana, they praise the State a lot, but nothing comes of that. If you don’t give money, what will happen?” “I request (Union Commerce and Industry Minister) Piyush Goyal, (Union Finance Minister) Nirmala Sitharaman to support and encourage progressive States which have been dominating in terms of benchmarking policies, pioneering initiatives like the Mission Bhagiratha, and finishing projects in breakneck speed like the Kaleshwaram,” he said.

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