Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has expressed concern over the BJP-led Central government efforts to suppress the States as part of its policy of “strong Centre and weak states” which is against the spirit of federalism enshrined in the Constitution.
“The Centre is trying to suppress the States through this unwarranted, unhealthy and undemocratic policy. It is not desirable,” he said.
The Centre’s efforts to weaken the federal structure could be seen from its attempts to take control over All India Service officers, reducing the States’ say on allocating land for the development of amenities and infrastructure and fiscal policy management. Financial management had turned worse at the national-level given the decline in growth rate from 8 % to 6 %.
The decline started much before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and doubts were now being expressed on whether the Centre could really achieve the targeted US $ 5 trillion economy in the time line set for it. “The country should witness around 15 % growth annually to reach the $ 5 trillion economy against the current economy which is pegged at $ 3.1 trillion. But given the current level of growth, it will not reach the targets in the timelines set,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the country’s unemployment rate was over 7 % with over five lakh units shut down while its performance was poor in human development index, individual rights, hunger index and other parameters. “We are ranked below Nepal and Pakistan in terms of some of these parameters,” he said.
Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao who spoke after moving the Appropriation Bill for 2022-23 in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday launched a trenchant attack on the Centre for the restrictions it had imposed on the States for borrowings. The Centre had no doubt enhanced the borrowing limit under FRBM Act to 4 %, but it came with a rider that the States should implement reforms in the power sector.
The country was witnessing an upsurge in communal issues and the Centre had adopted a negative approach towards Telangana as could be seen from the significant cut in the devolution of taxes and Central grants due to the State. Mr. Rao pooh-poohed the claims of the BJP leaders about claims on “double engine” growth and said States like Uttar Pradesh where the BJP government was in power were ranked lower in terms of several parameters.
“The per capita income in UP is ₹ 78,000 as compared to ₹ 2.78 lakh in Telangana. Economic growth in UP was 7.6 % whereas it is pegged at over 10 % here. The same is the case with maternal/infant mortality rates. It is not a double engine growth, but a trouble engine growth,” he said.
In terms of river waters, he said the Centre had undemocratically set up river water boards for two major rivers of the State against which the State government had addressed letters in protest. The government was against abiding by the Centre’s orders till its doubts were cleared and its share of water allocated.
“How can the Centre divert water from here in the name of river interlinking projects without catering to the State’s needs? The State has been awarded its share by the Bachawat Tribunal and we are not ready to lose even a single drop,” he averred.
