Nothing substantial in budget for Telangana people: KTR
Hyderabad: BRS working president and MLA KT Rama Rao (KTR) spoke during a discussion on the budget appropriation bill in the Telangana Legislative Assembly on Wednesday. In a marathon address lasting around two hours, criticizing the recently presented budget, he said it failed to promise anything substantial for the people of Telangana.
Highlighting the impressive growth of Telangana over the last decade under the leadership of former CM KCR, KTR exposed how the Congress party was tarnishing the image of Telangana by not acknowledging its success, solely to score some political brownie points. KTR spoke extensively on the significant strides in economic and social development, presenting a comprehensive overview of Telangana's economic development and the policies that propelled it.
Quoting the Telangana Socio Economic Outlook tabled in the House by the Congress government, KTR emphasised that Telangana has emerged as a beacon of progress. He said the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) soared from Rs 4 lakh crore in 2014 to Rs 14.5 lakh crore, and the per capita income reached Rs 3,47,000, the highest in the country. Telangana's contribution to the national GDP has risen from 4.1 per cent in 2014 to 5 per cent in 2023.
KTR explained that despite mudslinging by the Congress on financial management, Telangana's development expenditure stands at 74 cer cent, the highest in the nation. The State's committed expenditure, which includes salaries, pensions, and interest payments, is 47 paise per rupee, compared to the national average of 56 paise.
The senior legislator refuted claims of a debt-ridden Telangana, clarifying that the State's debt-to-GSDP ratio of 27.9 per cent is better than that of many other States. He emphasised that the increased borrowing was strategically used for developmental projects. “Using debts for investments in productive sectors is not a debt, but an investment for the future,” KTR asserted. He added that the Congress government is suffering from KCR phobia and maintained that KCR’s mark on Telangana’s growth can never be erased.
Questioning the Congress party on why they set an impractical 100-day deadline for implementing the six guarantees, KTR asked when will the government their 420 electoral promises. Lambasting the State government for taking credit for government jobs filled during the BRS rule, the BRS working president said the BRS government filled 1,63,000 government jobs and nearly completed the process for an additional 30,000 jobs. He said instead of addressing the concerns of the unemployed youth and fulfilling their demands, the government is behaving in an autocratic manner.
KTR also pointed out that during the tenure of former CM KCR, farmers' suicides were at their lowest, thanks to initiatives like Rythu Bandhu and other schemes. However, he expressed concern over the rise in suicides of farmers, weavers, and auto drivers after the Congress came to power. He also spoke about various pressing issues that are plaguing the State, such as food poisoning in government hostels, power cuts, and deteriorating law and order. He also questioned the bogus investment announcements made during CM Revanth Reddy’s visit to Davos in January and sought the government’s response on the cost escalation of the Musi beautification project and lands pooled for the Pharma City project.
Taking strong exception to Congress leaders’ remarks, KTR warned that promoting Telangana as a debt-ridden State could deter potential investors and harm the State's economic prospects. He called for a balanced view, considering both assets and liabilities to reflect the true financial health of the State. While vowing to support constructive policies brought by the current government, he urged the ruling party to avoid false propaganda and focus on genuine development efforts.