New Delhi, June 16: Central Minister G. Kishan Reddy has firmly rejected the allegations made by Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao regarding insufficient support from the central government for the construction of two phases of the metro project.
In a conversation with reporters on Tuesday, Reddy stated that these claims are completely unfounded. He emphasized that the central government has consistently assisted the state government in completing various projects, whether under Rao’s administration or previous ones. He asserted that the central government has never accepted any negligence in project completions.
According to Reddy, the revenue generated from metro operations should primarily cover operational expenses. He explained that income from ticket sales and advertisements should be utilized for metro operations to avoid any issues. The state government argues that it will first repay loans, but Reddy contends that the revenue from the metro should first address operational costs, and any surplus should then be allocated to loan repayments.
Reddy pointed out that the current situation has necessitated loans even for maintaining metro operations. Despite the state’s financial challenges, the metro expansion continues, as it is crucial for the public. He advised the state government to review its financial situation, noting that the central government has paused the project in light of these concerns. He urged the state not to mislead the public by presenting the situation from a different angle.
He also mentioned that Rao had made six guarantees, along with several sub-guarantees, none of which have been fulfilled to date. Reddy criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, stating that it is unfortunate that Gandhi has attempted to mislead the public with promises. He highlighted that economic difficulties in Telangana have reached alarming levels during the ten years of KCR’s rule and the two and a half years under Congress. The Telangana government currently faces a debt of approximately 1.3 million rupees and struggles to maintain financial discipline.
Reddy noted that the state government lacks funds for employee salaries, retirement benefits, and even basic expenses like replacing streetlights. He advised Rao to focus on serving the people rather than blaming others for his administration’s failures.
On the issue of coal, Reddy clarified that no coal scam has occurred. He mentioned that a union of employees had written to him about discrepancies in the accounts, prompting him to request an investigation from the state government to clarify the allegations.
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