Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president and Minister for Industries, IT, Municipal Administration and Urban Development K. T. Rama Rao on Friday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union government for cold-shouldering Telangana, not keeping promises made at the time of the State formation and deviating from the issue of basic necessities.
“We have no hope from this Union government... will take them [on] and ensure he is voted out at any cost in the next elections,” Mr. Rama Rao asserted, pointing out how it was not just about unfulfilled promises as well as little recognition for achievements of the State but also how NITI Aayog recommendations for grant of funding to Mission Bhagiratha piped drinking water supply project and Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation Project, which is the world’s largest, were not implemented.
Mr. Rama Rao, who was delivering Abhay Tripathi Memorial Lecture on ‘Challenges of being a young State’ said this citing how expectations ran high when Mr. Modi became Prime Minister in 2014 on the back of his emphasis on cooperative federalism. However, “we started seeing through things. Had supported him on a number of things, some of which we regret,” he said, adding his party had supported demonetisation, One Nation, One Tax (GST), when Venkaiah Naidu was made Vice President and voted Ram Nath Kovind for President.
Accusing Mr. Modi of not recognising a performing State like Telangana for “petty political considerations,” Mr. Rama Rao said, undettered the State went ahead implementing some of the largest projects and spurring growth across sectors from agriculture to IT exports. The government in Telangana is focused on issues concerning the common man, be it power supply, roads and water and not Uniform Civil Code, halal and hijab. Stating good economics make good politics, Mr. Rama Rao said Telangana model is unique, holistic, integrated, inclusive and balanced.
To a query from the floor on Centre-State ties, Mr.Rama Rao criticised the alleged “interference of Governors, especially in the non-BJP States. Governors literally have become impediments to growth... [when] a Bill from a democratically elected Assembly [is sent] Governor sits on it for no valid rhyme or reason.” He said this recalling how Mr. Modi as Gujarat chief minister, prior to becoming PM, had stressed the need for implementation of the Sarkaria Commission report and not appoint those active in politics as governors. With what is happening “politics will also spread to Raj Bhavan. The resulting acrimony is quite unavoidable.”
The annual lecture series has been instituted in the memory of Abhay Tripathi who was an Indian Administrative Service officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre 1986 batch. His wife, Richa Mishra Tripathi, Senior Associate Editor, The Hindu Business Line spoke on the concept of the lecture series. Political Editor of The Hindu in Hyderabad R. Ravikanth Reddy moderated the open house at the programme which was attended by senior officials, past and present, organised at the MCRHRD Institute.
MCRHRD Director General Shashank Goel and Additional DG Benhur Mahesh Dutt Ekka were also present.
