Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday took exception to some Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders allegedly making claims about central funds released to the state and hit out at the Congress and BJP for improper devolution during their rule.
The central devolution is actually the share of states in certain taxes collected by the Centre and it is not something to be begged for. It should be given, whichever government is in power, KCR said in the Assembly.
KCR, who responded to BJP member Raja Singh's comments over Central funds to the state, said both the Congress and BJP have turned out to be an "utter flop" in running the country.
"BJP people, from a small leader to the country's Home minister, whenever they come to the state or make statements in Delhi and in Parliament (they say), we have given so much funds to the state. Who are you to give? We have said many times. On one occasion, I had to demand apology from Home Minister. I said I will resign if figures given by me are wrong," KCR said.
The Congress government, when P Chidambaram was Finance minister, did not provide Central Sales Tax funds to states which made Telangana insist on including the Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation to be given to states in the law concerned, KCR said.
Even that is not being given properly by the Centre, he alleged.
The central devolution, which is deposited in the state's account by the RBI without fail, is not being received properly, he said.
Approximately Rs 3,900 crore, a commitment made to the state, has not been released by the Centre which, instead, told the state that it would be given permission to secure a loan of about Rs 1,400 crore, the chief minister said.
The Centre, as per the Constitution, has to give the share of states in the taxes collected by it and there is no kindness on the part of the former (Centre), he pointed out.
Talking about other types of funds provided by the Centre, he said the Centre also releases funds to the states as its share and such amount given by the Centre has not touched even Rs 10,000 crore any year during the last five years (in Telangana), he claimed.
The Congress had earlier tried to trumpet such funds and the present NDA government is trying to do it on a larger scale, he said.
Telangana is one of the five to six states which take care of themselves and also contribute to the nation building process, he said.
"Telangana is one state which is building itself and which is participating very actively in the nation building process by way of contributing huge taxes from the state of Telangana. This is a fact," KCR said.
While the state contributes over Rs 50,000 crore, what it gets from the Centre does not exceed Rs 24,000, he claimed.
Telangana is not a state of illiterates and everybody knows what is happening, he said. "My advice is it is better if BJP stops this disreputable sense at least now," KCR added.
KCR's intervention came during Finance minister T Harish Rao''s reply to the discussion on the state budget for 2020-21 presented on Sunday.
Replying to Congress Legislature Party leader M Bhatti Vikramarka and others expressing disappointment with the budget, the minister explained how the allocations increased and progress has been achieved compared to the Congress rule in erstwhile unified Andhra Pradesh.