Telangana Election 2023: Congress 'fact-checks' KTR over highest per capita income claim
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh contested the assertion made by BRS working president KT Rama Rao, citing data from the RBI that showed higher per capita incomes in states like Karnataka and Haryana at constant prices. He argued that Telangana's high per capita income is primarily due to the concentration of wealth in three districts
FollowThe war of words between the Congress and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi in Telangana continued on Monday with the former slamming the K Chandrasekhar Rao government over claims that the state has the highest per capita income in the country. Taking on BRS working president KT Rama Rao, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took to social media platform X to list 'facts' punch holes into the state Industry and Commerce minister's claim that the state has been ranked first in per capita income in 2022–23.
Ramesh said, "According to the RBI, at constant prices which is the yardstick that matters, Karnataka and Haryana have higher per capita incomes than Telangana, while Tamil Nadu is at the same level with a much larger population base."
"The high per capita income in Telangana is ONLY because of the three districts of Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Sangareddy. More than 75% of the population of Telangana lives in the other 30 districts, where the per capita income is lower than the state average," he further said, adding, "This is nothing but a betrayal of one of the main reasons for the formation of Telangana -- balanced development of the state.
The response from the Congress leader comes days after KTR's presentation titled 'Trailblazer Telangana,' where he asserted that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao played a pivotal role in steering the state away from the pre-bifurcation drought-like conditions.
Despite encountering various initial challenges, Rama Rao emphasized that Telangana, under KCR's visionary leadership, successfully implemented significant projects such as Kaleshwaram and other irrigation initiatives, involving an expenditure of Rs 1.7 lakh crore.
Highlighting Telangana's remarkable progress within a decade, KTR pointed out that the state now leads in per capita income nationwide and stands as one of the fastest-growing states in terms of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). Rama Rao underscored a substantial reduction in multidimensional poverty from 13.18% in 2014 to 5.8% in 2023.
Additionally, he claimed a substantial increase in agricultural production, with Telangana surpassing Punjab and Haryana to become the top paddy-producing region, rising from the 14th position pre-state formation to the current first position. The working president of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) attributed this growth to initiatives like extending Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima, along with the provision of 24x7 free power and irrigation water through projects like Kaleshwaram.
Rama Rao accused the central government of adopting a hostile approach towards states that aren't politically aligned with the ruling party, describing it as an "inimical government." He further alleged that the Centre was exerting pressure on agencies providing loans to the state.
