Centre biased against Telangana, yet to release funds for projects: KTR

HYDERABAD: TRS working president KT Rama Rao on Saturday alleged bias by the Centre against non-BJP governments in the country. “Is Narendra Modi the Prime Minister of the country or only BJP-ruled states?” he questioned at a press conference, accusing Modi of ‘step-motherly attitude’ towards states where BJP had neither present nor future.

KTR’s outburst came following a written reply that Medak MP K Prabhakar Reddy got for a question he posed in Parliament.

Union minister of state for water resources Arjun Ram Meghwal had replied that though the Niti Ayog had recommended financial assistance for Mission Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya projects in Telangana, it would not be able to allocate the required funds.

KTR pointed out that when BJP-ruled Maharashtra asked for financial assistance for its irrigation projects, the Centre sanctioned 25 per cent of the money and had released Rs 3,831 crore as first instalment this financial year. “Since Union water resources minister Nitin Gadkari comes from Maharashtra, also a BJP-ruled state, it is being favoured,” KT Rama Rao said.

The TRS working president said that the Telangana government would fight with the Centre on issues concerning the state. “CM KCR met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on several issues but the Centre has not responded on any of them,” he said.

Niti Ayog had recommended a financial assistance of Rs 19,205 crore for Mission Bhagiratha and Rs 5,000 crore for Mission Kakatiya but the Centre had refused to provide the amount to the state, KTR added.

He pointed out that Modi himself had come for the Mission Bhagiratha programme launch in Gajwel at the request of KCR and appreciated it. “We are getting appreciation but no funds from the Centre,” KTR said.

“TRS MPs would take up the issues of the state in Parliament strongly,” he said.

Describing the attitude of the Centre in ignoring the demands of the state as ‘cheap and silly’, he said that in the next elections, BJP could be sure of losing its deposits once again in Telangana.

He said though a request had been put forward to the Centre to give national status to any of the projects in Telangana, including Kaleshwaram, this was not accepted while AP got national status for Polavaram.

“We will expose this undemocratic behaviour of the BJP. I understand that the notification for Lok Sabha elections will be issued on February 25. The BJP will be taught a lesson after the poll results are out. It will not even win the one seat that it got in 2014,” he said.

Is Narendra Modi the PM of the country or only BJP-ruled states? Since Union water resources minister Nitin Gadkari comes from Maharashtra, also a BJP-ruled state, it is being favoured. Niti Ayog had recommended a financial aid of Rs 19,205 crore for Mission Bhagiratha and Rs 5,000 crore for Mission Kakatiya but the Centre had refused to provide the amount to the state