Bhatti Vs Harish rao face-off in Assembly

Leaders spar over state's debts and unpaid bills

* According to RBI report, the Cong govt has borrowed Rs 55,618 crore under FRBM. In just one year, the total borrowings have reached Rs 1,27 L Cr. At this rate, the projected borrowings over five years will rise to Rs 6.36 L Cr.

-Harish Rao, BRS MLA

* Cong govt neither borrowed Rs 1 lakh crore nor crossed the FRBM limit. We are clearing pending bills left over by the BRS govt. Harish Rao has no habit of speaking the truth, he only knows how to politicise every issue

-Bhatti Vikramarka, Dy Chief Minister

metro india news  I hyderabad

The Telangana Assembly session witnessed heated exchanges between Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka and BRS MLA T Harish Rao over the state’s debt burden, borrowings and pending bills. The debate intensified during discussions on Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) loans, with Finance Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka at the center of the discourse.

Responding to Harish Rao’s queries on FRBM loans in the Question Hour, Bhatti disclosed that the State government had drawn FRBM loans amounting to Rs 52,118 crore from Dec.2023 till Nov.2024 while non-FRBM loans drawn by Corporations/SPVs (Special Purpose Vehicles) from December 2023 to November 2024 was Rs 61,991 crore.

Harish Rao, however, strongly objected, accusing the Congress government of borrowing Rs 1.27 lakh crore in just one year. If the total 5-year term of the present government is considered, it may go up to Rs 6.36 lakh crore. He compared this with Rs 4.17 lakh crore that BRS borrowed in 10 years of its rule, rubbishing Congress' repeated claims that the state’s debts rose to Rs 7 lakh crore under BRS rule.

To this, Bhatti clarified that they had borrowed only Rs 52,000 crore while repaying Rs 66,000 crore, including interest, in 11 months. He criticized the BRS for leaving Rs 40,000 crore in pending bills, of which the Congress government has already cleared Rs 14,000 crore of unpaid bills. Additionally, Rs 18,000 crore dues in Civil Supplies department and unpaid bank guarantees were also attributed to the previous government. Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, Bhatti noted, was actively pursuing this issue.

Ready for debate if BRS wants again: Bhatti

Bhatti accused the BRS of misleading the House and exaggerating debt figures. He noted that the Congress government had already issued a white paper detailing the debt status, emphasizing their commitment to financial transparency.

Reiterating the Congress government's transparency, Bhatti declared readiness for a detailed discussion on the State’s debts and assets, asserting, “We are ready for a discussion on debts and assets anytime.” He lambasted BRS for its alleged hypocrisy, dismissing the privilege motion filed by Harish Rao as an attempt to divert attention from the previous administration's financial mismanagement.

Congress inherited dues and unpaid bills from BRS

Further in a sharp retort, Bhatti criticised the previous BRS administration for leaving behind Rs 40,000 crore worth unpaid bills and Rs 18,000 crore in pending civil supply dues. He accused Harish Rao of spreading misinformation and reminded the Assembly of BRS’s governance over the last decade, which he claimed had significantly contributed to the current debt situation.

Highlighting Congress’ achievements, Bhatti said farmers now receive payments within three days of paddy procurement, along with a Rs 500 bonus per quintal of fine rice. “A farmer, Chittibabu, from my village shared that he earned an additional Rs 15,000 per acre because of this bonus,” Bhatti shared. 

He also reminded that that free power for farmers was originally a Congress initiative, started in 2004, and the party had always ensured timely payments to Discoms. By contrast, the BRS left Rs 18,000 crore in unpaid dues, while the Congress government has already released Rs 11,000 crore.

Turning to education, Bhatti lambasted the BRS for neglecting welfare hostels by failing to increase mess charges, which compromised food quality and students’ health. The Congress government addressed this by increasing mess charges by 40% and cosmetic allowances by over 200% to improve hygiene and living conditions.

Harish misleading the House

Bhatti accused Harish Rao of politicizing issues without offering truthful statements, emphasizing that the Congress government has stayed within FRBM borrowing limits while striving to reduce overall debt. “The destruction caused by 10 years of BRS rule cannot be fixed in one year,” he remarked, justifying the need for limited borrowing to repair the damage.

He also criticized the BRS for leasing the Outer Ring Road for 30 years, cautioning that mortgaging future revenue streams would jeopardize the sustainability of future governments. Bhatti concluded by reiterating the Congress government’s commitment to transparent governance and systemic reforms, calling out the BRS for its legacy of financial mismanagement and misplaced priorities.