Accusing the Central Government of “discriminating” against progressive States like Telangana, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has demanded that the Centre immediately lift the economic sanctions imposed on the States and stop further violation of the rights enshrined to them in the Constitution of India.
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The Chief Minister alleged that the present government at the Centre was basing its governance on the “conspiratorial and frivolous doctrine” of Strong Centre-Weak States. And therefore, the violation of rights of the States reached a peak under this government. “The present government is conspiring to weaken the States financially. It is shifting taxes in the form of cess to evade constitutionally due share of the States in the taxes levied by the Centre,” he said.
The Chief Minister vented his ire against the Narendra Modi-led BJP Government during his address at the official Telangana Formation Day celebrations here on Thursday in the backdrop of the State not being permitted to raise market borrowings to meet its financial requirements. The Chief Minister was particularly critical of the Centre for imposing various kinds of sanctions arbitrarily undermining the economic freedom of the States.
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The Centre, which wanted the States to abide by the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act, was itself not complying with any rules. “It is a known fact that the Centre is squandering millions of crores of rupees due to the States,” he alleged, adding that the Centre’s attitude had become a stumbling block for States like Telangana which maintained financial discipline by managing loans and expenditure within FRBM limits.
The State, he recalled, was losing ₹ 5,000 crore every year as it had refused to implement “anti-farmer” reforms suggested by the Centre like installation of electricity meters to farm services and collection of charges for the power supplied. “That is not our policy. The State will not accept any policy that creates burden on farmers. I will not accept these anti-farmer power reforms as long as I am alive,” he averred.
He said discrimination against Telangana was not new as it started in the initial days of State formation when seven mandals were merged in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh even before the State celebrated its Formation Day. The Centre had delayed division of the united High Court and did not pay heed to recommendation by the Niti Aayog for release of ₹ 24,000 crore towards Mission Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya schemes.
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“I have made personal requests to the Prime Minister several times to grant additional funds to the newly formed State, but in vain,” he said adding the Centre did not release any additional funds during the difficult times due to COVID-19 pandemic. “Moreover, it slashed funds that are to be given genuinely to the State.”
The AP Reorganisation Act clearly stipulated that tax exemptions should be given to allow more investments into the newly formed State. But the Centre had not given any incentives and all promises made in the Reorganisation Act like integrated steel plant at Bayyaram, railway coach factory and others were “consigned to dustbin”.
Injustice was meted out to Telangana as the Information Technology Investment Region was not set up as assured. “The Telangana government is condemning the Centre for delaying delimitation of constituencies, a promise that was made in the Reorganisation Act,” he said. He recalled how the Centre had turned a “deaf ear” to the requests made by the State to ensure admission of students returned from war-torn Ukraine in the medical colleges here with an assurance that the State government would bear the fee for them. “As on date there is no response. We strongly object the Centre’s inaction into the issue,” Mr. Rao said.
The Chief Minister launched a trenchant attack on the Centre for its “miserable failure” to procure paddy from the State in spite of the dharnas organised at the State and national levels where he himself participated in a protest against the Centre’s adamant attitude. “We did not get any response from the Centre on our demand to take a decision within 24 hours while a Minister makes sarcastic remarks against the people of the State. Is there anything more arrogant that this?” he asked.