T Harish Rao busy driving tractor as KCR holds first pre-Budget meet

HYDERABAD: In an interesting development, the first pre-Budget meeting held by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao at Pragathi Bhavan on Thursday concluded sans the attendance of Finance Minister T Harish Rao. The Finance Minister was busy with the inauguration of an urban forest park and other local programmes in the Gajwel municipality. While he drove a tractor as part of a tractor rally organised by the farmers of Paturu village in Medak district, the Chief Minister held a marathon meeting with officials on preparing the State Budget.

This is not the first time that the Chief Minister has conducted such an important meeting in Harish’s absence. In the past too, KCR has held reviews on irrigation without the Minister, despite the latter holding the key Irrigation portfolio back then. On Thursday, during the programmes in Medak and Gajwel, Harish said though farmers across the country are in trouble, those in Telangana have been leading a comfortable life, thanks to KCR’s “foresight”. He said not a single BJP-ruled State provides crop investment support (Rythu Bandhu) but in Telangana this fund has been helping the farmers to a great extent. He heaped praise on KCR and the State government for the several pro-farmer initiatives.

Meanwhile, there was no official briefing on the Chief Minister’s pre-Budget meeting. He reportedly discussed the Union Budget and made some suggestions to the officials on preparing the State Budget which is to be presented shortly in the State Legislature. Also, there has been no official word either from the Chief Minister or the Finance Minister on the Union Budget.

Not the first time
This is not the first time that the Chief Minister has conducted such an important meeting in Harish’s absence. In the past too, KCR has held reviews on irrigation without the Minister, despite the latter holding the key Irrigation portfolio back then