Hyderabad: Terming its Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package as a “blatant fraud”, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Monday slammed the Centre for treating states as its subordinates and beggars.
Alleging that the Centre is behaving horribly with the states, he told a news conference here on Monday night that as a state government, he was feeling very pained.
Describing the package as “hollow” and “100 per cent bogus”, he wondered if this can be called a package.
Can this be treated as package?: KCR
“As a state government I feel very painful. I really feel sorry. This should not have happened. Can this be treated as a package?” he asked.
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief said the package was totally against the spirit of federalism. “It is atrocious and totally feudal. We did not ask for this package,” he said.
KCR, as Rao is popularly known, alleged that the Centre is trying to dominate the states. “The Prime Minister talks of cooperative federalism. With this package this has proved hollow and bogus.”
He said the state governments were also constitutional governments and not subordinates. “All said and done we also run governments, constitutional governments. They are not subordinates. The states have more responsibilities directly to the people than the Centre,” he said.
Citing the opinions of international journals of Singapore and Japan, KCR said they were asking if the package was aimed at reviving GDP or was it just a jugglery of figures. He pointed out that the Centre has not given even Rs 1 lakh crore.
He said when coronavirus completely destroyed the world economy, the states were seeking some cash in hands so that the same can be passed on to people in different ways.
FRBM limits
KCR found fault with the Centre laying down conditions to raise FRBM limits for the states from 3 per cent to 5 per cent and reminded that even the loans have to be repaid by the states and the Centre would not give even a penny.
“It is very unfortunate that the Centre is pushing for reforms holding a knife at the state governments’ throats,” he said.
He said if the conditions laid down by the Centre for reforms in various sectors were implemented. it would impose a burden on people. “It is pathetic that the Centre should insist on states implementing the reforms in four sectors to qualify for increased borrowing in these times of pandemic. Is the Centre giving some charity?” he asked.