Telangana Minister Criticizes Union Budget for Neglecting the State
Hyderabad: Telangana Minister for IT and Industries, Duddilla Sridhar Babu, has voiced strong criticism of the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. He claimed that the central government has shown a clear bias against Telangana while favoring states governed by the NDA and those heading into elections.
The Minister pointed out that despite Telangana contributing 5 percent to the national GDP, it has not received funding proportional to its economic contribution. “Telangana paid Rs. 26,000 crore in taxes to the Centre but has been denied its fair share. Even though the overall budget grew by 12 percent compared to last year, Telangana was neglected for political reasons,” he said.
Sridhar Babu also expressed disappointment with the Modi administration, stating that the people of Telangana feel let down. He highlighted that the state has sent eight BJP MPs to Parliament, yet it continues to be ignored in terms of financial allocations.
Comparing Telangana to other states, he noted that regions like Bihar, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat have received generous funding. “Is this not a blatant instance of political revenge?” Sridhar Babu asked, accusing the Centre of intentionally sidelining Telangana.
The Minister further criticized the Union government for ignoring repeated requests by Telangana leaders. He mentioned that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka had appealed for financial assistance totaling Rs. 1.63 lakh crore, but their pleas went unanswered. He added that a specific request for Rs. 17,212 crore to expand the metro in Hyderabad was also denied.
Sridhar Babu highlighted other areas where the Centre failed to provide support. Despite Hyderabad’s rapid growth as a global city, funds were not allocated under the CSMP to modernize the city’s underground drainage systems. Similarly, a Rs. 4,000 crore proposal to restore the environmentally hazardous Musi River was rejected.
The Minister accused the central government of disregarding the principles of federalism. He pointed out that Bihar was given special packages, while Telangana was completely ignored. Sridhar Babu urged the Centre to recognize Telangana’s potential and provide the resources it rightfully deserves.
