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Pre-budget meet: Harish Rao presents Telangana 'wish list'
Finance Minister T Harish Rao participating in pre-budget meeting chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with State Finance Ministers on Monday via videoconference
Ahead of the Union Budget-2021 to be presented in the Lok Sabha on February 1, the Telangana government has presented its ‘wish list’ before Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday at a virtual pre-budget meeting chaired by the latter
Hyderabad: Ahead of the Union Budget-2021 to be presented in the Lok Sabha on February 1, the Telangana government has presented its 'wish list' before Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday at a virtual pre-budget meeting chaired by the latter.
The wish list includes continuation of the additional borrowing scheme in the new financial year, immediate release of Rs 723-crore grants under the 15th Finance Commission and Rs 900-crore backward area development fund to the state.
The TS government has also insisted on the Centre to extend free vaccination programme to all in Telangana on the lines of Bihar.
The Union Minister reviewed the status of Central assistance and requirement of funds in the upcoming budget with Finance Ministers of States.
TS Finance Minister Harish Rao said the special borrowing scheme under which the States are permitted to avail two per cent additional borrowings of the total GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product ) helped Telangana to mobiles required funds for the purpose of public expenditure at a time when the State was struggling to meet the financial needs post-corona lockdown.
Hence, he urged the Centre to extend the scheme this scheme in the next financial year as well. Harish Rao further said that strict implementation of the 15th Finance Commission recommendations every year would also help the States. He pointed out that Telangana had lost Rs 723 crore due to non-implementation of the recommendations in the current year and sought immediate release of the same. He drew the attention of the Union Minister the fact that the States were losing their share of funds due to the imposition of cess and surcharges.
He asked her to scrap the cess and increase Central grants to the states. He urged the Centre to extend 50 per cent subsidy on the loans taken by women self-help groups to all districts and enhancement of the pension to physically challenged, old age and widows to Rs 1000 from Rs 200 in the new financial year. State Finance Secretary K Rama Krishna Rao and others were present at the conference.
