Hyderabad, March 3 (NationPress) Union Minister for Coal and Mines, G. Kishan Reddy, has urged the Congress-led government in Telangana to publish a white paper detailing the financial status of the state.

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Tuesday, the Central minister emphasized the necessity of a thorough white paper prior to the commencement of the state budget session on March 16.

In his correspondence, the BJP leader outlined the financial assistance and support that Telangana has received from the Central government over the past 12 years.

Kishan Reddy noted that upon its inception in 2014, Telangana had a surplus budget. He accused the current financial crisis of the state as a direct result of mismanagement during the last decade of BRS governance and the previous 27 months under Congress rule.

He pointed out that the alarming increase in the state's per capita debt is indicative of its deteriorating financial condition. The Union Minister stressed the importance of transparency, urging the state government to disclose the realities of its financial standing to the people of Telangana.

Recalling the 2023 Assembly elections, Kishan Reddy mentioned that the Congress party had made 420 promises to the citizens of Telangana, including six major guarantees in their manifesto. He claimed that the citizens who trusted these promises granted power to the Congress party, yet upon assuming office, the Chief Minister suggested that the state treasury was as empty as earthen pots.

“While you discussed the state treasury in such terms, you also recently mentioned your willingness to provide Rs 1,000 crore to the Sonia Gandhi-Rahul Gandhi family and the Congress party if necessary. Your statements suggest that while the state treasury is empty, the pockets of Congress leaders are far from it,” he remarked.

Kishan Reddy asserted that since the NDA government took charge under Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, substantial assistance has been provided for the development of Telangana. Over the past 12 years, approximately Rs 12 lakh crore has been allocated by the Centre for various schemes and capital investments aimed at enhancing the state and aiding its populace.

He detailed how these funds encompass Rs 2.5 lakh crore in tax shares, Rs 1.85 lakh crore for road construction, over Rs 36,000 crore for railway budget allocations, an additional Rs 50,000 crore for railway projects, about Rs 40,000 crore for employment guarantee funds, Rs 50,000 crore for free ration rice distribution, and more than Rs 21,000 crore for educational and sports initiatives, among others.

Additionally, the Central government has procured paddy from Telangana farmers, paying around Rs 2 lakh crore as a minimum support price in the last 12 years, along with another Rs 60,000 crore for cotton procurement. The support extended by the Central government includes Rs 10 lakh crore in loans through various financial institutions.

Furthermore, the Central government initiated a scheme called 'Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI)' in the financial year 2020-21, aimed at providing additional support for state development through interest-free loans with a 50-year term. Kishan Reddy noted that Telangana received over Rs 10,000 crore in interest-free loans under this scheme from 2020-21 to 2025-26, facilitating numerous capital investment projects across the state.

“Although Telangana is benefiting from this scheme, the state government continues to rely on interest-free loans from the Central government for its ambitious projects, highlighting its precarious financial state,” he explained.

“Moreover, the state government is borrowing funds to cover interest on previous loans, as well as to pay salaries, support the Rythu Bharosa scheme, and implement various welfare initiatives. The current situation in Telangana is such that the government cannot undertake any work without incurring additional debt,” he concluded.