Nirmala Sitharaman lashes out at KCR, says every child born in Telangana has 'Rs 1.25 lakh debt'

Hyderabad: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman came down heavily on Telangana`s TRS government for raising debts beyond FRBM limits and claimed that every child born in the state carries Rs 1.25 lakh debt burden. She said because of the huge debts, Telangana`s revenue surplus budget had slipped to a revenue deficit budget. She was talking to reporters at Kamareddy on Thursday, the first day of her three-day visit to Zaheerabad Lok Sabha constituency as part of the BJP`s `Parliament Pravas Yojana`.

She said the state was raising more debts than approved in the Budget. She claimed that the Assembly was being kept in the dark about the debts raised outside. She said all the debts were not being included in the Budget. The central minister argued that the Centre has the right to question the state on debts.She alleged that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government has changed the names of the Central schemes. She said though `Our village-our school` is a Central scheme, the TRS government is projecting it as the state scheme.

She also slammed the state government for what she called inflating the cost of the Kaleshwaram project to Rs 1.20 lakh crore. Sitharaman said the state had not joined Ayushman Bharat as the TRS realised that people would know the facts. She asked the state government why it was not implementing PM Fasal Bima Yojana.

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The finance minister said Telangana was in fourth place among the states with the highest number of farmers suicides. She claimed that 91 out of every 100 farmers in Telangana are burdened with loans. She alleged that benefits of the Rs.1 lakh loan waiver scheme have not reached the farmers.

Sitharaman also wanted to know why the state government is not covering tenant farmers under Rythu Bima. She remarked that TRS only makes tall claims and promises but never fulfils them. Referring to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao`s visit to other states, she remarked that before going around in the country he should answer the people of his state.