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Congress slams govt apathy
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) deputy leader in Telangana Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir demanded that the State government increase allocations for agriculture and energy sectors while ensuring that the unspent amount meant for welfare is carried forward in the next financial year.
Seeks more funds for key sectors in the budget
Hyderabad: Congress Legislature Party (CLP) deputy leader in Telangana Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir demanded that the State government increase allocations for agriculture and energy sectors while ensuring that the unspent amount meant for welfare is carried forward in the next financial year.
Participating in the debate on State Budget for the financial year 2015-16 in Legislative Council on Monday, Shabbir Ali accused the State government of ignoring key sectors in the budget. He said as against the allocation of Rs 8,511 crore made last year, this time the allocation had been reduced to Rs 8,432 crore. He said the government had decreased the allocation by 1.17 per cent of the total budget for agriculture and allied sectors while ignoring the fact that the sector had registered a negative growth of 10.3 per cent in 2014-15.
Shabbir Ali also criticised the government for ignoring the families of farmers who committed suicide. Referring to the claims of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao of Telangana being a revenue surplus State, he said in that case, the State government should waive off remaining 75 per cent of crop loans waiver amount.
Speaking about energy sector, the Congress MLC said that the government proposed to enhance the generating capacity to 23,675 MW by 2018 from present 4,320 MW. However, he said that Finance Minister Eatala Rajender had allocated a mere Rs 1,372 crore in Plan budget for the energy sector. “An investment of Rs 6 crore is required to generate one mega watt of power. At this rate, to add 19,355 MW power in the next three years, we would need Rs 116,130 crore or an amount equivalent to our one annual budget.
Even if we mobilise 80 per cent of amounts through loans, we would need to raise at least 20 per cent of the total investments as our equity. It comes to Rs 23,226 crore or about Rs 25,000 crore. However, the government has allocated just Rs 1,372 crore under plan which includes spending on other initiatives,” he said. Shabbir Ali also accused the State government of taking a U-turn on 12 per cent reservation for ST and Muslim communities.
“Recently, the government appointed two committees under Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952. These committees are bogus and an eyewash. Their findings will be good for academic purpose, not for providing reservation,” he said adding that the decision on reservation could be taken only by BC and ST Commissions, not committees. He also explained the process which was adopted to provide 4 per cent reservation for Muslims by the then Congress government in 2004.
