Blatant discrimination against TG: Sridhar Babu

Hyderabad: Minister for IT and Industries Duddilla Sridhar Babu has asserted that the Union Budget delivered by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has once again revealed the central government’s intentional bias against Telangana.

He remarked that while States that are heading into elections and are governed by the NDA have received generous allocations, Telangana has been consistently overlooked.

Sridhar Babu emphasised that although Telangana contributes 5 percent to the national GDP, it has not been allocated funds commensurate with its economic capacity. “Telangana has remitted Rs. 26,000 crore in taxes to the central government, yet it has been deprived of its fair share. Even though the overall budget has increased by 12 percent compared to the previous year, Telangana has been neglected for political reasons,” Sridhar Babu lamented.

The Minister claimed that the Modi administration has let down the people of Telangana, even though the State has successfully elected eight BJP MPs to Parliament.

Sridhar Babu emphasized that while other states such as Bihar, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat have received generous funding, Telangana has been intentionally overlooked. “Is this not a blatant instance of political revenge?” he questioned.

He also noted that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka have consistently reached out to the Prime Minister and Union Ministers, requesting financial assistance amounting to Rs.1.63 lakh crore, yet their requests have gone unanswered. The Minister further stated that the Telangana government has requested Rs.17,212 crore for the expansion of the metro, which spans 76.4 kilometers; however, the Centre has declined to allocate any funds.

“Despite Hyderabad’s rapid evolution into a global city, the Centre has denied funds under CSMP for modernising underground drainage systems in Hyderabad and its suburbs. Similarly, the 55-km-long Musi River, which has become an environmental hazard, has required Rs. 4,000 crore for restoration, but the Union government has flatly refused to help, Sridhar Babu criticised. He stated that time and again, the Centre disregards the spirit of federalism and this time, Bihar has been showered with special packages, while Telangana has been entirely overlooked. The Minister said the Centre must acknowledge Telangana’s potential and grant it the resources it rightfully deserves. (NSS)