Centre weakening states: KCR at T’gana day event

He reminded how the Centre was denying the states their rightful share in the central taxes by collecting them in the form of cess.

Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi government at the Centre of conspiring to weaken the states financially thereby violating the federal spirit of the Constitution.

Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao reiterated that his government and the party would continue to fight against the politics of hatred and discrimination of the Bharatiya Janata Party. (HT)

Addressing a gathering after unfurling the national flag at Public Gardens on the occasion of the eighth Telangana Formation Day celebrations here, the chief minister reiterated that his government and the party would continue to fight against the politics of hatred and discrimination of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Stating that the Modi government was adopting an approach of strong Centre and weak states, KCR, as the chief minister is called, said the Constitution had envisaged a federal structure wherein the states enjoyed considerable political, legislative, administrative and autonomous powers. “All the governments at the centre, including the present BJP government, have been violating this federal spirit of the Constitution,” he said.

He reminded how the Centre was denying the states their rightful share in the central taxes by collecting them in the form of cess. He also found fault with the Centre for imposing sanctions on the states’ borrowing limit. “We demand that the Centre immediately reconsider its stand and lift the economic sanctions imposed on the states,” KCR said.

Stating that Telangana region had faced a lot of discrimination in welfare and development during the combined Andhra Pradesh regime, the chief minister said now the central government, too, was displaying the same discrimination, instead of encouraging a progressive and development-oriented Telangana.

“On the day one of the Telangana formation in June 2014, the Centre merged eight revenue blocks of the state with Andhra Pradesh, as result of which Telangana had lost important Sileru hydro-electric project. There was undue delay in the division of the state high court. The Centre did not grant a penny despite recommendation by NITI Aayog for release of ₹24,000 crore for Mission Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya schemes,” he said.

Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Centre had not sanctioned any additional funds to Telangana. “It has not filled many of the promises made under AP Reorganisation Act,” he alleged.

He also charged the Centre with refusing to buy paddy from the state despite a series of agitation by farmers and the TRS government. Still, there was no uniform policy for the Centre on paddy procurement, he said.

The chief minister explained how the state had made rapid strides in all the fields in the last eight years. “Telangana achieved huge successes in several fields which no other state in the country did. It has become role model for other states in economic development, power supply position, irrigation, welfare, IT sector and industrial growth,” he claimed.

KCR felicitated Padmasri awardee Darshanam Mogulaiah, boxer Nikhat Zareen and shooter Esha Singh and presented cheques of ₹1 crore and ₹2 crore, respectively. Earlier, he paid tributes to the Telangana Martyrs at Gun Park.

BJP, Cong celebrate

The main opposition parties – BJP and Congress - celebrated the Telangana formation day at their respective party offices.

BJP Telangana unit president Bandi Sanjay unfurled the tricolour at the state party office at Nampally. He claimed that but for the initiative taken by the BJP, Telangana state would not have been a reality by now. “Whatever the Telangana has achieved in the last eight years, it was mainly due to the financial assistance from the Narendra Modi government at the Centre,” he said.

Modi, in a tweet, greeted the people of Telangana on the state’s formation day. “The people of Telangana are synonymous with hard work and unparalleled dedication to national progress. The culture of the state is world-renowned. I pray for the well-being of the people of Telangana,” he said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in a tweet, said he felt proud that the Congress party and Sonia Gandhi ji listened to the people’s voice and worked selflessly towards fulfilling the dream of Telangana. “In the last eight years, Telangana suffered extreme misgovernance by the TRS. On #TelanganaFormationDay, I want to reaffirm Congress commitment to building a glorious Telangana, a model state focussed on bringing prosperity especially to farmers, workers, poor & common people,” he said.

The Pradesh Congress Committee leaders led by working president T Jagga Reddy unfurled the national flag at Gandhi Bhavan to mark the day.