Chief Minister Revanth Reddy Meets Union Ministers to Press Telangana’s Demands
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi on Friday to discuss several pending issues concerning Telangana. He highlighted key demands, including the sanction of a long-awaited Railway Coach Factory in Kazipet, the release of funds for backward districts, and reimbursement of operational costs for undivided institutions.
Revanth Reddy reminded the Finance Minister that the Centre had promised to release Rs 450 crore annually to nine backward districts under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. However, he pointed out that these funds have not been released since 2019, leaving a gap of Rs 1,800 crore.
The Chief Minister also requested the release of Rs 408 crore from the Andhra Pradesh government, which is its share of the operational costs for institutions like the High Court, Raj Bhavan, Lokayukta, State Human Rights Commission, and Judicial Academy. He stated that while Telangana has already spent Rs 703.43 crore on these institutions, the Andhra Pradesh government has yet to clear its dues, despite reminders from the Union Home Ministry.
Another key issue raised was the recovery of Rs 2,547.07 crore from Telangana as part of loans taken for projects during the united Andhra Pradesh period. Revanth Reddy urged the Finance Minister to review this matter, as Telangana was not allocated funds for Centrally-sponsored schemes in 2014-15. He also requested the release of Rs 495.20 crore, which remains due to Telangana.
During his discussion with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Chief Minister emphasized the need to establish a Railway Coach Factory in Kazipet, as explicitly mentioned in the AP Reorganisation Act. He expressed the state government’s objection to the recent proposal to set up only a Periodic Overhauling (POH) workshop in Kazipet, instead reiterating the demand for a full-fledged coach factory.
Revanth Reddy also pushed for the clearance of pending railway projects. These include a new railway line between Vikarabad and Krishna to connect backward areas in South Telangana, as well as proposed routes like Kalwakurthy-Macharla, Dornakal-Miryalaguda (Papatapalli-John Pahad), and Dornakal-Gadwal.
The Chief Minister’s meetings aimed to bring attention to Telangana’s pending issues and secure the necessary funds and approvals for the state’s development.
