Telangana's rights in Budget session to be fought for by MPs

Hyderabad: Parliament members from Telangana will demand implementation of provisions under Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act for the State, during the parliamentary session scheduled to resume from Monday.

They will fight for industrial incentives and national organisations promised to both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh under the Act, besides pitching for linking Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) with agriculture.

After the TRS Parliamentary Party meeting held at Pragati Bhavan here on Saturday, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao said the UPA government had made promises under AP Reorganisation Act, but the NDA government had failed to implement them. “We wrote letters, made representations to the Ministers and I met Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally seeking assurances given under the Act, but there has been no response,” he told mediapersons.

The TRS MPs will pitch for implementation of promises under AP Reorganisation Act including a steel plant at Bayyaram, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, railway coach factory at Kazipet and also seek an Indian Institute of Management for the State besides taking up pending issues of the State with the Central government.

Rao pointed out that the BJP leadership was claiming to have showered funds to Telangana out of the way. Whereas, it had only released funds as part of devolution of funds that were due to it as its rightful share as per Article 270. Telangana received Rs 81,362 crore from the Centre in the last four years as part of devolution of funds. “The Centre has not done any favour to us but gave our rightful share. Instead, it has ignored the Niti Aayog’s recommendations to fund Rs 24,000 crore for Mission Bhagiratha and Kaleshwaram project,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that TRS was giving issue-based support to the Central government, including GST and demonetisation, but would continue to fight for rights of the State.

Responding to a question, Rao declared that fielding candidates for Rajya Sabha was an internal issue of TRS party and the Congress had no right to demand for fielding the family members of Telangana martyrs as they had used their money and power to defeat Shankaramma, mother of Srikanthachari.

The Chief Minister revealed that his party had conducted two surveys separately and acquired a total 6.5 lakh samples which promised more than 100 seats for his party in 2019 elections. “While one survey indicated 103 seats for TRS, another survey assured 106 seats,” he stated. He said the Congress would not even win 10 seats, while the fate of BJP remains bleak.