Telangana: BRS Chief KT Rama Rao Calls Union Budget 2024 Disappointing

BRS Working President KT Rama Rao on Tuesday expressed disappointment with the Union Budget, alleging that Telangana received nothing. Despite having a budget of more than Rs 48 lakh crores, only a few states received major benefits, he alleged. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday presented the Budget for 2024-25. This is the first Budget during Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's third term in office. Referring to BJP and Congress winning eight Lok Sabha seats each in Telangana (out of 17), Rama Rao said the people of the state should think as to what happened when they gave 16 seats to the two national parties.

BRS drew a blank in the LS polls. "It is disappointing that Telangana is not mentioned in the entire Budget. Once again, Telangana received nothing," he said in a statement. Stating that BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao had requested the Centre to take decisions on about 35 "promises" made to Telangana in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 when he was chief minister, Rama Rao said national status has not been granted to any irrigation projects in the state despite requests.

The BRS had made several requests, including central institutes such as IIM to Telangana, funds for industrial corridors from Telangana to Mumbai-Nagpur and others and establishment of a new handloom cluster along with a mega power loom cluster, but the Centre did not respond, he charged.

"Even the requests made by the present chief minister and ministers from Telangana during their visits to Delhi were ignored. Once again, Telangana has received nothing in this Central Budget," Rama Rao, son of former CM Chandrasekhar Rao, said. Stating that Telangana people should take note of the funds allocated to Andhra Pradesh and Bihar which have more seats in Parliament, he claimed that the people need to understand that "own political identity and strength" is crucial for Telangana's development. The people of Telangana will certainly teach a lesson to the BJP government for giving zero funds despite having eight MPs, he said.

Maintaining that BRS has no problem with the funds given to Andhra Pradesh and that his party wishes the neighbouring state, Rama Rao said the Central government, however, did not mention the word Telangana even once when discussing the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act. "We are happy with the significant funds given to Andhra Pradesh. But it is truly disappointing to see that only Andhra Pradesh and Bihar received funds while the remaining 26 states were overlooked," he said.