Centre turned Nelson's eye to Telangana: KCR

Slamming the Centre over the alleged disruption in cooperative federalism and failure of NITI Aayog, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Saturday said the central government has turned a Nelson's eye to the southern state.

Addressing a press conference here, Chief Minister KCR said, "As a mark of serious protest against the Government of India, I am boycotting tomorrow's NITI Aayog meeting in Delhi because the cooperative federalism and the team India spirit is totally lost by the central government and NITI Aayog."

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief alleged the Centre is running a "dictatorship" and is imposing schemes which are undesirable to the states. He said the GST imposed on handloom products, milk and crematorium should be withdrawn.

"Poor beedi workers are suffering because the beedi industry is almost on the verge of closure. They are losing their employment. The government has the responsibility to show alternative employment to them, instead, they are increasing GST by 28 per cent on beedi industry," said Rao.

Telangana CM said people from all walks of life are unhappy with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre.

"People are unhappy. Farmers are unhappy. The Centre is unable to control the price rise which is skyrocketing. Inflation is touching a high. The unemployment rate has gone up to 8.1 per cent. This was not desired as a result of the formation of NITI Aayog," he said.

KCR further said, "It was not my intention to make it a political issue. Out of compulsion, I have made so many suggestions during the meetings of NITI Aayog, not a single point was considered. I do not see the place for the recommendations of NITI Aayog to the central government."

He said NITI Aayog clearly recommended to support very good initiatives taken up by Telangana like Mission Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya. He claimed the Aayog clearly recommended sanctioning Rs 24,000 crore for both the projects but the Centre "never bothered to honour the recommendations by the NITI Aayog."

"Simultaneously the 15th Finance Commission of India has recommended sanctioning Rs 6,000 crores to Telangana for which the Government of India has shown Nelson's eye," said KCR.

Urging the central government to lift GST on handlooms, the Telangana CM said that he is boycotting Sunday's NITI Aayog meeting.

The seventh meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog will be held in New Delhi on Sunday.

( With inputs from ANI )

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