Growth of India lies in growth of states: KCR
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday pitched for more autonomy for states in sectors like agriculture, health, education, urban and rural development and said the Centre should focus on challenges faced by the country in the areas of external affairs, defence macro-economic and global issues.
Addressing the Niti Aayog’s 4th Governing Council meeting held in New Delhi on Sunday, Mr Rao stated that the growth of India lies in the growth of its states and fast-growing states must be encouraged by tax incentives.
He wanted the Centre to remove the rigidness of certain Centrally-sponsored schemes that curtail the initiatives of the state government.
In his seven-minute speech, the Chief Minister listed various farmerfriendly initiatives implemented by the Telangana state government including Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bhima Yojana and purification of land records. “The fast-growing states must be encouraged by tax incentives, if not by additional transfers from central funds,” Mr Rao explained.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday pitched for more autonomy for states at the fourth council meeting of Niti Aayog in New Delhi on Sunday.
“We need to focus on agriculture and allied activities as an integrated sector and dairy, poultry, goat and sheep rearing, and fisheries should also be exempted from income tax. As a part of the initiatives for doubling the income of farmers, MGNREGA funds should be tagged to agriculture with 50 per cent contribution from farmers to reduce the cost of their investment,” the CM suggested.
“In order to extend a helping hand to farmers we are also making massive investments in irrigation. Kaleshwaram and PalamoorRanga Reddy Irrigation Projects on rivers Godavari and Krishna will on completion become the lifeline of Telangana. These projects shall provide new irrigation facilities to farmers over 26 lakh acres and stabilisation of 18 lakh acres in 24 districts of Telangana. We are setting up new standards in completing various mega projects without any time and cost overruns,” Mr Rao said.
Referring to foodgrain storage capacity in Telangana, the CM said, “Another major infrastructure development we have taken up for the overall growth of agriculture sector is construction of 356 agricultural godowns in the past three years with a storage capacity of 18.3 lakh MTs at a cost of `1,050 crore. This is in addition to 170 godowns with a capacity of 4.17 lakh MTs storage capacity, and these godowns are distributed throughout the state depending upon potential for usage. This is helping farmers in many ways, like storage of agriculture produce in order to beat market fluctuations, storage of agriculture inputs like fertilisers, seeds etc.
AS A PART of the initiatives for doubling the income of farmers, the Telangana CM said MGNREGA funds should be tagged to agriculture with 50 per cent contribution from farmers to reduce the cost of their investment
He said the focus must be on agriculture and allied activities as an integrated sector.
He sought income-tax exemption for dairy, poultry, goat and sheep rearing, and fisheries along the lines of agriculture