Union govt hurting federal values, weakening states: KCR in I-Day speech
The Union government is thrusting upon states’ decisions taken on issues in the Concurrent List without consultation, KCR alleged, citing the examples of farm laws which have now been withdrawn.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday, August 15, launched a broadside against the NDA government, alleging that it is hurting federal values, weakening the states financially and also centralising powers. In his Independence Day address after hoisting the national flag at the historic Golconda Fort in Hyderabad, KCR said the makers of the nation’s Constitution put in place a federal structure as they wanted the Union government and states together to lead the march of progress.
“The present Central government in Delhi is hurting federal values. The Centre is indulging in conspiracies that weaken the states financially as if cutting the branch on which one is seated,” he said. KCR alleged that the states are supposed to get a 41% share in revenue accruing through taxes collected by the Union government, but the Union government is acquiring income indirectly by imposing cess instead of taxes to reduce the states’ share. Through this, the Union government is reducing the states’ share of income by 11.4%in 2022-23, he said.
The Union government is causing injustice to the states by providing only 29.6% share where 41% should have been provided, he said. As if that is not enough, the Union government is also imposing various restrictions hurting the freedom of the states in the economy, he charged. The Union government which talks about the ideals of cooperative federalism is, in reality, indulging in the centralisation of powers, he claimed.
