Pressurise Centre for special status to Telangana: MIM to TRS government

Hyderabad: Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) on Wednesday asked K Chandrasekhar Rao-led Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) government to "exert pressure" on Union government for securing a special category status to the newly-created state.

Raising the demand in Telanagana Legislative Assembly during the general discussion on the state budget, MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi also demanded that government publish a white paper on the state's financial position.

Taking part in the general discussion on the state budget, Akbaruddin pointed out that Telangana's financial situation is worse than the power (crisis).

"Why is the state government not placing details of its finances before the public? The Andhra Pradesh government brought out a white paper on its financial position and explained everything to its people. I demand that the Telangana government too publish a white paper on the finances clearly stating the revenue and the expenditure," Akbaruddin said.

At the same time, the MIM leader also wanted the TRS government to exert pressure on the Centre to grant special category status to the newly-formed Telangana state.

"You exert pressure and we will fully support it," he said in the House.

Akbaruddin said the per capita debt burden in Telangana stood at Rs 29,000.

The budget estimates presented to the House did not contain details about the interest being paid by the state government on the borrowings, he said.

"There is no improvement in Telangana's income after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. I wonder how the Finance Minister presented such an ambitious budget (of over Rs one lakh crore)," he remarked.