Hyderabad: Finance minister T Harish Rao on Monday urged Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to release pending grants of over 3,000 crore to Telangana.
In a letter to the Union finance minister, he said the Centre had not released backward areas development fund for 2019-20 and current year, which comes to about 900 crore.
He said 14th finance commission grants to local bodies amounting to 817 crore were also denied without any specific reason. Rao said a special grant of 723 crore was recommended by 15th finance commission for 2020-2021 as tax devolution for state. Grants recommended by finance commission were never denied in the past, he said. Even the Centre’s share on centrally sponsored schemes being implemented by Telangana for the first year (2014-15) was not released, he said.
“The entire share of Centre was released to AP by oversight though it was apportioned in the ratio of population between AP and Telangana. The share of Telangana wrongly released to AP amounts to 495 crore. Though the matter was taken up, it is yet to be adjusted to Telangana. It should be released on priority basis,” Rao said.
He also requested release of IGST settlement of about Rs 210 crore.
