Telangana's GSDP more than tripled during BRS regime: Harish Rao

HYDERABAD: Former Minister and BRS MLA T Harish Rao has strongly refuted allegations made by Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, accusing the previous government of turning the state into a debt-ridden entity.

Speaking to the media at the BRS Legislature Party office in Assembly premises on Thursday, Harish Rao criticised the budget presented by Bhatti Vikramarka in Legislative Assembly on Thursday.

Bhatti Vikramarka proposed borrowing Rs 57,000 crore for this fiscal year, which is Rs 17,000 crore more than the previous government's borrowings. Harish Rao pointed out that during his tenure as Finance Minister, he proposed Rs 40,000 crore under the FRBM, whereas Bhatti's proposal is significantly higher.

Harish Rao accused Bhatti Vikramarka of attempting to claim the achievements of the KCR government as his own while simultaneously denying any development over the past decade. He highlighted that Telangana now ranks first in per capita income in the country, a significant leap from its 13th position a decade ago. The central government has also acknowledged this progress. Telangana's per capita income stands at Rs 3,47,299, which is Rs 1,64,063 higher than the national average of Rs 1,83,236. This, Harish Rao asserted, is a testament to the BRS government's effective governance under KCR.

Harish Rao further emphasised the state's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) growth, which increased from Rs 4,51,580 crore when KCR took office to Rs 14,63,963 crore in 2023-24, a threefold increase. Telangana's growth rate of 11.9% surpasses the national growth rate of 9.1%, demonstrating the state's robust economic performance.

Speaking about the development of Hyderabad, Harish Rao dismissed Bhatti's accusations of BRS government's neglect as baseless. He pointed out that even present Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu recently praised KCR's development efforts in Hyderabad. The city's development has been widely recognised, with notable figures like Rajinikanth also commending it.

Harish Rao said that the Congress government lacks vision in every sector, as evidenced by their inability to acknowledge the progress made in Hyderabad.