BJP, Congress get an earful from Harish Rao

Min lashes out at Bandi, Revanth for not pressing the Centre to release Rs 34,149cr due to TS
TRS minister Harish Rao. (Photo| EPS)
TRS minister Harish Rao. (Photo| EPS)

SIDDIPET: Stating that the Rs 34,149 crore is due to the State from the Union government, Finance Minister T Harish Rao on Wednesday lashed out at the BJP State president Bandi Sanjay and TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy for trying to corner the TRS over the financial crisis instead of exerting pressure the Centre to release funds to Telangana.

Speaking to reporters in Siddipet along with Panchayati Raj Minister Erraballi Dayakar Rao, the Finance Minister reeled off details of the funds due to Telangana under various heads.He said that Rs 1,200 crore is due from the Centre under the Employment Guarantee Scheme to the State and advised Sanjay to write to the Ministry of Rural Development to release the funds. Harish Rao said that another Rs 8,995 crore is due to villages and towns in the State from the Centre.

The Minister said: “Rs 1,129 crore of the 13th Finance Commission, Rs 817 crore of the 14th Finance Commission, Rs 1,103 crore of the 15th Finance Commission and Rs 1,350 crore from the BRGF is due to the State.”

He said Rs 450 crore of CSS funds sent to Andhra Pradesh is pending and has not been sent to Telangana yet. “Another Rs 4,142 crore is due under GST,” Harish Rao said, asking Sanjay to write to the Centre on the matter. He advised Sanjay to go to Delhi or write to the Prime Minister to release the money due to Telangana under the Constitution. The Finance Minister said even when the Centre did not release the money, even when the 13th and 14th Financial Commission funds were not released, the State government spent for Palle Pragathi and Pattana Pragathi programmes from its treasury.

He criticised the Union government for not giving a single rupee for Mission Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya for which the Niti Ayog had recommended Rs 24,205 crore. Harish Rao said 15th Finance Commission had recommended Rs 3,024 crore under Sector Specific and Rs 2,350 crore under State Specific Grant.

“No matter how many recommendations are made, the Centre is not giving a single rupee to Telangana. Palle Pragathi and Pattana Pragathi are wonderful programmes, the results of which are visible for all to see. The Centre itself admitted as much, by giving them so many awards,” he added.

The Minister pointed out that of the 20 best villages in the country under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana scheme, 18 are in Telangana. Is this not testimony to the work of the Telangana government? he asked.

“Bandi Sanjay, Tondi Sanjay, Revanth Reddy are all Goebbels campaigners,” Harish Rao said. He asked Sanjay why the Central government led by his own party is unable to give such awards to villages in the 19 States ruled by the BJP.

“Revanth Reddy speaks well but does not say why Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, which are ruled by the Congress, are not winning any awards. Show me villages with tractors, trolleys, tankers, dump yards, vaikuntha dhamams and nurseries in any part of the country except Telangana,” Harish Rao said, lashing out at the BJP and Congress for blaming the TRS government for not paying the bills, when State has disbursed bills worth Rs 700 crore for Palle Pragathi and Pattana Pragathi for April and May despite the Centre not clearing the dues.

“Modi and Amit Shah come to the State and blame the State government but do not talk about the Rs 34,100 crore due to Telangana. If they are sincere about Telangana, they should release the funds due to the State,” Harish Rao said.

Centre jealous of TS development: Harish
Accusing the BJP-led Union government of being jealous seeing the development and welfare programmes being implemented in the State Finance Minister T Harish Rao on Wednesday accused the Centre of deliberately causing trouble in the State. He also accused the Centre of showing stepmotherly love for Telangana and said that all States in the country should be treated equally.

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