Budget draws mixed reactions in Telugu states; Telangana alleges neglect, Naidu hails rail corridors

The Union Budget drew sharply contrasting reactions from the Telugu states on Saturday, with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu welcoming the proposals, while the Telangana government complained that the state had once again been ignored by the Centre.

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka described the Budget as disappointing and alleged that it had done injustice to the state. “The Budget presented by the central government has been disappointing. The central government has done injustice to Telangana in the Budget. The expected allocations are missing,” he said.

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However, the Budget proposes three of the seven high-speed rail corridors passing through Telangana—Pune–Hyderabad, Hyderabad–Bengaluru, and Hyderabad–Chennai.

Appreciating the Budget, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said three high-speed rail corridors would benefit his state. He said Anantapur and Kurnool would be part of the Hyderabad–Bengaluru corridor, Amaravati and Tirupati would be included in the Hyderabad–Chennai corridor, and Palamaneru in Chittoor district would feature on the Bengaluru–Chennai high-speed rail route.

Welcoming the Budget, Telangana BJP leader and Malkajgiri MP Eatala Rajender said the Hyderabad-centric high-speed rail corridors would give a significant boost to Telangana’s growth. He added that the Budget prioritises the poor, youth, and students, with a strong focus on startups and entrepreneurship.

In contrast, Telangana Jagruthi leader Kalvakuntla Kavitha expressed disappointment over the Budget. “Telangana has sent eight BJP MPs to Parliament. Parliament has sent back zero funds and endless files. This is not even cooperative federalism. Our state has been pushed to the back of the queue. The streak of zero for Telangana continues,” she said.