Hyderabad, Feb 1 (NationPress) Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka has expressed that the Centre has once again treated Telangana unfairly in the Union Budget. In response to the Union Budget for 2026-27 unveiled by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament on Sunday, he stated that while they anticipated funding for various projects in Telangana, the State received no allocations from the Rs 53.47 lakh crore Budget.

He informed the media that despite the persistent efforts of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Cabinet Ministers, and Members of Parliament who have repeatedly engaged with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Finance Minister to represent the interests and developmental needs of the State, the absence of funds has led to significant disappointment.

The expected Central funding for projects such as the Musi River rejuvenation, the Regional Ring Road, development of Hyderabad city, Metro Rail expansion, and other infrastructure improvements was notably missing, he lamented.

Vikramarka noted that when discussing bio-pharma, Telangana is often at the forefront, yet the lack of funding is profoundly disappointing. He emphasized that Hyderabad is globally recognized as a pharma hub. During the COVID pandemic, Bharat Biotech provided vaccines not only domestically but also internationally, yet Telangana was excluded from the pharma hub initiatives.

He highlighted that while the Central budget allocated Rs 40,000 crore for electronics, Telangana received no financial support, despite Hyderabad's well-established electronics ecosystem.

The Telangana government has been prioritizing sports, organizing events as part of the Global Summit and Vision 2047 with renowned athletes. However, the Deputy CM criticized the Centre for sidelining Telangana despite the emphasis on sports.

“In the Orange Economy, activities centered around Hyderabad have been shifted to Mumbai. What has Telangana done to deserve this treatment? Hyderabad is a significant hub for audio-video, gaming, and comics. Ignoring Hyderabad in the Orange Economy while favoring Mumbai is unfair,” he remarked.

Moreover, he pointed out that Hyderabad is emerging as a medical hub, attracting patients from across India and beyond. He questioned the exclusion of Telangana from the Regional Medical Value Hub initiative.

“The omission of Telangana in the tourism sector is also unjust. The State boasts UNESCO-recognized heritage sites like the Ramappa Temple, Mannanur Tiger Reserve, Kawal Reserve Forest, waterfalls, temples along the Krishna and Godavari riverbanks, and rich forest areas,” he added.

He remarked that the Centre has also neglected Telangana in the context of rare earth minerals. The Singareni Collieries is actively processing rare earth minerals for extracting scandium and lithium in Sathupalli and Ramagundam.

Despite Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Industries Minister Sridhar Babu directly meeting with the Prime Minister to request approval for a semiconductor unit in Telangana, the Budget has allocated such projects to other states, reflecting a step-motherly attitude towards Telangana.

This Budget does not prioritize the welfare of SCs, STs, and minorities. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is being undermined, which will severely impact the rural poor, Vikramarka stated.

He urged all Telangana Members of Parliament to put aside political differences during this Budget session and appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for fund allocations.

Vikramarka mentioned that the State had requested the Centre to permit a fiscal deficit of 4 percent, while the Centre itself has set a fiscal deficit of 4.3 percent, denying Telangana the same. “Is Telangana not a vital part of the nation?” he questioned.