Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has asserted that the Centre had never imposed the condition of putting up meters on agriculture pumpsets in Telangana but when the BRS government wanted to borrow more than the prescribed limit, it had to commit to certain pre-conditions.
“If you (BRS govt.) want more loans and borrowings, we have asked for some reforms for the sake of society like putting up a metre to check the power consumption and bills being paid by it to the power generating and distribution companies. I am not imposing it on you. There is no compulsion, but you cannot have everything,” she maintained at a press conference on Tuesday.
Ms. Sitharaman affirmed that the Centre had not stopped any borrowings to Telangana but when the latter wanted more, certain conditionalities have to be fulfilled. Many States installed smart meters on farm pumpsets and took the extra loan, so “we cannot make an exception for Telangana. This is how they (BRS) are doing harm to the State. How does Prime Minister Modi figure into this to be blamed,” she sought to know.
