“Telangana gets zero in Union Budget”, BRS leader KT Rama Rao

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], February 3 (ANI): Expressing scepticism about the budget presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, BRS Working President and MLA Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao alleged that Telangana has got nothing in the Union Budget and questioned the silence of the state Chief Minister.

Taking to X, KT Rama Rao posted, “Yet not a word against BJP from Telangana CM !! Deafening silence. What are you scared of? Why this abject surrender on the interests of the state? From meekly signing and handing over projects to KRMB to staying absolutely silent on injustice meted out to state, truly appalling”.

The BRS leader also attached a picture of a poster in his post which said, “Telangana gets Zero in Union Budget”.

Even as Union Ministers hailed the Union Budget tabled by Union Finance Minister on Thursday as an ‘inclusive budget’, it drew sharp criticism from opposition leaders who dubbed it an ‘election budget’.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the interim budget is merely a financial web to trap people.

“The interim budget presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman failed to meet the expectations of the countrymen,” said Sukhu.

Lashing out at the Centre, Sukhu said, “There was no mention of the expansion of the rail network for the state. There is also no mention of any rapid mass transit system for hilly states like Himachal, where metro rail cannot be started.”

The Chief Minister highlighted that the Centre ignored the green energy sector in the interim budget.”

Though green and solar energy have been mentioned in the budget speech, there is no clear roadmap as to how the green and solar energy initiatives will be achieved,” he added.

The government presented the interim budget for 2024-25 in Parliament on Thursday with a focus on economic policies that foster growth, facilitate inclusive development, improve productivity, and create opportunities for various sections while noting that it will pay utmost attention to the eastern region including states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and West Bengal to make them growth engines as part of a goal to make India a developed country by 2047.

This was the last budget of the PM Modi government in its second term with Lok Sabha polls expected in April-May this year. Sitharaman, who presented her sixth budget in Lok Sabha, expressed confidence in the BJP-led NDA coming to power again.