Industries and IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao’s demand that the Central Government withdraw its plans to sell assets worth ₹ 40,000 crore in Telangana has reflected the concerns expressed by different States over the manner in which lands acquired by them are being treated.
Mr. Rama Rao lambasted the Centre for its attempts to sell off ₹40,000 crore assets including those of the public sector undertakings in Telangana. The State had allotted 7,200 acres to Hindustan Cables Ltd, Hindustan Fluorocarbons, Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals, HMT, Cement Corporation of India and Ordnance Factories claiming that the State had allotted these lands at marginal prices and, in a few cases, offered for free as it would generate employment for locals and facilitate industrial development.
Mr. Rama Rao was not alone in raising the issue in the form of a letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The issue of lands acquired by the States and transferred to the Centre found mention in the meetings of the Southern Zonal Council and was included in the agenda of its recent meeting held in Thiruvananthapuram.
