Hyderabad: Union Minister for Renewable Energy, Prahlad Joshi, criticized Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for not attending the Governing Council Meeting of NITI Ayog. He also took issue with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s remarks after she walked out of the meeting.
Addressing the media on Saturday, Joshi expressed that the Telangana Chief Minister should have attended the meeting to voice his concerns. He emphasized that boycotting the meeting does not benefit the people of the state.
Joshi recalled that the BRS party had similarly boycotted meetings and was subsequently voted out of power. He also took a dig at Mamata Banerjee, questioning her claim of representing opposition parties. He pointed out that the so-called INDIA block is not an alliance partner and that the TMC chief did not allocate a single seat to Congress in the recent Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal.
On the issue of denial of funds and national status to certain irrigation projects, Joshi dismissed claims that the Centre discriminates against Telangana. He detailed the funds allocated to Telangana, including Rs. 5,336 crore for railway projects and the development of 40 railway stations as Amrit Bharat stations. He also mentioned road projects worth Rs. 60,000 crore and the Regional Ring Road project with Central funding. Additionally, he noted the renovation of the fertilizer factory in Ramagundam.
Joshi stated that some Central projects were delayed due to the state government’s slow allocation of land and hoped the current government would speed up the process. He added that it is unfair to criticize the Centre, which has been supporting irrigation projects in Telangana. However, he noted that no Detailed Project Report (DPR) had been submitted to seek national status for any irrigation project from Telangana.
Joshi highlighted that the Union Budget 2024-25 aims for a developed India (Vikasit Bharat), focusing on employment, skill development, MSMEs, and the middle class. He emphasized the Centre’s goal of inclusive growth and welfare for all sections of society, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi working for the upliftment of the poor and taking several decisions for farmers’ welfare.
On the agriculture front, Joshi criticized the previous UPA government for not implementing the Swaminathan Committee’s recommendations. He stated that Modi’s government is striving to make agriculture profitable for farmers by increasing the Minimum Support Price (MSP). He also mentioned the extension of free ration for another five years under the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana and the allocation of Rs. 1.52 lakh crore to agriculture and allied sectors in the Union Budget for 2024-25. Additionally, 109 new high-yielding crop varieties will be released for farmers, suitable for different climatic zones in the country.
