T Harish Rao Calls for Fair Share of Resources for Telangana
BRS leader T Harish Rao has urged the 16th Finance Commission to ensure justice for Telangana. He made this request during a meeting at Praja Bhavan on Monday, where he was joined by fellow MLAs Palla Rajeshwar Reddy and Vivekanand. Together, they represented the BRS party and presented key proposals to defend Telangana’s rights and push for a fairer share of resources from the Central government.
Harish Rao highlighted the progress Telangana has made since its formation. “We have eliminated power cuts, reduced farmer suicides, and created a path to prosperity,” he said. He emphasized that Telangana is leading the country in GDP growth and has become a model for other states.
However, he raised concerns about the unfair distribution of funds from the Central government. “The Central government promises a 41% share of taxes, but we are only receiving 31%. This needs to be fixed,” Harish Rao stated. He also criticized the use of surcharges and cesses by the Central government, which are not shared with the States. “Despite contributing 20% of the Center’s revenue through these levies, the States aren’t getting their fair share. We asked the Commission to increase the States’ share to 50%,” he added.
Harish Rao also pointed out the significant rise in the Centre’s non-tax revenue, which jumped from Rs 171 crore in 1961 to Rs 5.46 lakh crore in 2024-25. He argued that States should receive a portion of this revenue as well. Rao expressed frustration that successful states like Telangana are being penalized. “We lead the country in per capita income, yet we are being punished with reduced shares. This is simply unfair,” he said.
Rao concluded by reminding the Commission that Telangana’s share has been consistently reduced over time. He urged the 16th Finance Commission to stop this pattern of injustice and support states that are performing well.
