Telangana Finance Minister rushes to Delhi with Rs 16,000-crore wish list

Hyderabad: The TS government has requested the Centre to release pending dues and funds for development of roads in Hyderabad city and other infrastructure to the tune of Rs 16,443.42 crore to the state including, Rs 10,400 crore CST compensation.

TS finance minister Etela Rajender met Union finance minister Arun Jaitley while municipal minister K.T. Rama Rao called on Union minister for road transport Nitin Gadkari, Union railway minister Suresh Prabhu and other ministers in New Delhi and submitted separate memoranda requesting the Centre to speed up pending projects and release funds accordingly.

Mr Rama Rao sought funds for laying of new roads in Hyderabad and other parts of the state that were damaged during the last monsoon. Mr Gadkari promised to consider the plea.

The TS government sought Rs 10,400 crore of CST compensation, Rs 1,745 crore for new projects under PMGSY, Rs 899 crore in PMGSY dues Rs 13,338.85 crore for MGNREGS, Rs 608.20 crore for Sarva Sikha Abhiyan, Rs 582.94 crore for building infrastructure for schools, Rs 450 crore for BRGF, Rs 300 crore for the Deen Dayal Upadhya Grameena Kalyan Yojana and Rs 39.33 crore for the Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhiyan.

Mr Rajender also met Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar and sought release of Rs 582.94 crore due to the state. He also called upon Union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh and sought Central help in overcoming crisis in agriculture sector, including due to the recent hailstorms, glut in red gram and other issues.

MPs B. Vinod Kumar, B. Narasaiah Goud, Kotha Prabhakar Reddy, Hyderabad mayor Bonthu Ramamohan, finance secretary Navin Mittal and others accompanied the ministers.