Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka has criticized the Union Budget 2025-26, stating that it fails to address the pressing issues faced by Telangana. He remarked that the budget demonstrates a lack of understanding and commitment to the unique challenges and developmental needs of individual states like Telangana.
Bhatti pointed out that the central government has reduced customs duties on specific goods but increased cesses. According to him, this move will reduce the divisible pool of taxes, thereby decreasing the share of funds allocated to states. He expressed concern over this trend, which he believes will hinder the ability of states to receive their rightful share of resources.
The Deputy Chief Minister also highlighted that the budget allocated a significant amount of funding to Bihar through various schemes, despite the state maintaining revenue surpluses and having a fiscal deficit lower than permissible levels in many previous years. In contrast, Telangana, which has shown strong resource utilization and fiscal discipline, was overlooked in the budget.
“This discrimination undermines the efforts and achievements of Telangana,” Bhatti said. He warned that such neglect would not only hurt the state’s progress but could also have negative consequences for India’s overall development.