TELANGANA

Amid rising political temperatures in the state, Prime MinisterNarendra Modiis all set to inaugurate and dedicate to the nation several development works to the tune of 11,355 crore on April 8. He will also address a public meeting at Parade Ground in Secunderabad.

Apart from flagging off the Secunderabad-Tirupati Vande Bharat Express from Secunderabad RAILWAY station, he would also perform ‘bhumi puja’ for the redevelopment and modernization of the Secunderabad station at a cost of 715 crore.

Modi would also inaugurate the doubling work on the Secunderabad-Mahabubnagar railway line at a cost of 1,410 crore, launch 13 new MMTS Phase-II Services, as a part of the MMTS Phase-II between Bolarum-Medchal and Falaknuma-Umdanagar, perform ‘bhumi puja’ for six national highway projects to be constructed at an estimated cost of 7,864 crore and various development works at Aiims, Bibinagar, at a cost of 1,366 crore.

The Centre has askedAndhra PradeshandTelanganatoresolvepending issues overbifurcationthrough negotiation. Assuring that support would be extended in resolution of the issues.

Senior officials told the Union Home secretary that bifurcation of non-cadre superintendents of Police (SPs), additional SPs and DSPs were not yet resolved. Similarly, division of assets and debts of corporations listed in the Schedule IX of AP Reorganisation Act and Singareni Collieries were also left unresolved. Provisions to levy taxes as per Sections 51,51 and 56 of the Reorganisation Act are also pending resolution.

Telanganais second in the country in terms of per capita development expenditure (PCDE), according toSocio-Economic Survey(2023) released by finance minister T Harish Rao.

Goa tops the list with PCDE of 59,770, followed byTelangana(26,897) and Karnataka (24,040). On the other hand, the countrys PCDE is 20,233, on an Average. A states PCDE is calculated by dividing its development expenditure by its Population.

The development expenditure component of includes spending on both social (Education, Health, welfare, and housing) and economic Services (Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture, Forestry, Industry, transport, etc.). Spending on general services is included in non-development expenditure (fiscal services, administrative services, etc.). Telangana has the highest share of development expenditure in total expenditure (78.1%) among Indian states during the 2018-21 period. During the same period, the average share of development expenditure average of the country was 68.4%.

Capital expenditure, on the other hand, is usually one-time and spread over a long period of time, either resulting in the creation of an Infrastructure asset. The states estimated capital expenditure for financial year 2022-23 is 67,584 crore (26%).

During 2018-21, the states economic services expenditure, as a share of development expenditure, was 46.3%, which was close to Indias share of 44.6%. Similarly, during the same period, the states social service expenditure, as a share of development expenditure, was 53.7%, which was close to Indias average of 55.4%.

tourism minister V Srinivas Goud said the State Government would provide all facilities and arrangements for physically challenged people to visit all tourist spots in the state.

He assured all the help to D-Hub founder Koppula Vasundhara, who is making a documentary titled Tritour on facilities provided to the physically challenged in the state. The minister said she could go around the tourist places in all the 33 districts in the state.

Even as the Centre proposed linking of the rivers in the Union budget,said no move should be initiated until availability of water in Godavari river was determined.

Raising apprehensions, it said any proposal to link rivers should be taken up only after holding consultations with both states. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana shareKrishnaand Godavari river basins and sharing of Irrigation water has always been the bone of contention.

In the past, the TRS government had asked the Centre to take up a detailed project report after determining that the state has water in excess of its needs before interlinking the rivers. Though Telangana has agreed to link the rivers in principle, it, however, told the Centre that a water balance study was required before taking any action. The reason for this, Telangana argued, is that the Centre was relying on two-decades-old water availability report.

Several new projects based on Godavari water are also being planned, particularly after the bufurcation of AP, it contended and said the river becomes surplus only after the tributaries,Pranahitaand Indravati, join it.

The feasibility report on interlinking southern rivers is also outdated, Telangana said and added it needed to be updated as new projects such as Sriramsagar stage 2, Sriramsagar flood flow canal, Devadula, Indirasagar,Rajivsagar,Pranahita-Chevellaand Kanathapalli are being implemented.