Hyderabad: Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said that the Centre has released Rs 1,15,799 crore to Telangana state under various heads in the last six years. However, TRS leaders say that the state did not get anything in addition when compared to other states. They say all these are statutory allotments.
Replying to a question by Congress MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy in the Lok Sabha, Ms Sitharaman said that state Budget documents show that Telangana state is a revenue surplus state since 2014-15. She said that the debt-GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) ratio from 2014-15 to 2019-20 the Budget estimates, though on a rising trend, is within the envelope prescribed by the 14th Finance Commission for its award period and also in line with the medium-term fiscal policy statements of Telangana state.
Ms Sitharaman said that the grants in aid to the states are released based on the applicable guidelines by the Union government. She said that the utilisation certificates submitted by the state government of Telangana against the Central assistance released, wherever applicable, are carried out by the concerned ministries and departments.
