Exhibiting a commitment to democracy the protesting aspirants for Group-I posts are allowed to reach the State Secretariat in Hyderabad.
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
Indian States are no longer isolated entities. They are competitors. They compete for investments, infrastructure, talent, job creation and quality of life. So, how does Telangana State compare with others in terms of allocation to key sectors to make it an attractive business and employment destination, at the same time improving the quality of life for its citizens?
Focusing on attracting more investment, the government has promised continuity in regulations and has taken steps to improve the industrial environment, one of the steps is in setting up a Skill University to ensure a steady flow of trained workforce.
The single biggest change from the earlier regime is the focus on democracy. There have been protests on the streets of Hyderabad and otherr cities of Telangana showing a major change in governance pattern. Group-I exam aspirants could march from Ashok Nagar to Secretariat raising slogan without being bundled into police vans. There were protests by farmers and others fearing displacement in Lagcherla against an industrial unit and the State dropped the project.
If Telangana has to benchmark quality of life in comparison to other States it has to bring in more transparency. This has been partially achieved as the various government orders (GOs) are accessible. But, not all the RTIs are being replied and there is no full-time Information Commissioner. However, ministers and officials are once again accessible as part of Praja Vani.
Making the allocation talk
In 2023-24, Telangana’s budgetary allocation was a measly 7.6% in comparison to the national average of 14.7%, where the Delhi State is allocating 24.3% of its budget on education. This does not factor in the anomaly that Delhi doesn’t have to spend on irrigation, and its Police department is with the Union government. Telangana’s outlay for education appears low because a sizeable part of the allocation for BC Welfare includes theTelangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TSWREIS) which runs the institutions where children from marginalised sections get education. This is one of the reasons why Telangana has one of the highest welfare budgets in comparison to other States at 13.3% while the national average is a mere 3.5%. After the Congress government took over, the Education budget was increased by 11.5% to ₹21,292 crore.
Urban focus
While the focus on Musi Riverfront Development Project and HYDRAA appeared to be out of the blue, the Congress government had made its intentions clear from day one. The urban budget outlay set the tone for it. From revised estimates of ₹4093 crore in 2023-24, the Congress government increased it by 161% to ₹10,670 crore. This investment rectifies the lopsided development where Telangana spent only 2.8% of its budget on urban areas and 3.6% on rural development at a time when the country is rapidly urbanising. The national average budget outlay on urban development is 3.4% with even a large State like Gujarat spending 6.6% on it.
At a recent workshop on the Musi project, one of the participants shared how quality of life is going to be a key benchmark for the next generation to choose where to live and where to work. “The internet and technology have flattened everything. The only difference between Gurugram and Hyderabad will be quality of life. Now people want quality of life that includes environment, night life, educational institutions and a fostering urban ecosystem,” he said sharing how investment in urban areas is important.
Focus needed
In the health sector, Telangana presents dismal picture nationally with 5% spend on the key sector where the average is 6.2% where even a State like Bihar scores by spending 7%. However, the budgeted allocation for the sector in 2024-25 has seen a 25% hike over the revised estimates of the earlier fiscal. This jump in allocation comes at a time when the crumbling health infrastructure like the Osmania General Hospital needs a huge infusion to be built in a new location. But if Telangana has to match the health infrastructure developed in Delhi then this outlay would not be sufficient.
Designated as a surveillance State and City, Telangana has a budget to match. But the Congress government has cut back the budgeted spending on the Police department by 4%. From a revised estimate of ₹9303 crore it has dropped to ₹8972 crore But this has not stopped the police from acquiring surveillance technology like Automated Multimodal Biometric Identification System (AMBIS) for which it has floated a tender. The number of CCTV cameras is in hundreds of thousands linking it with the all-seeing eye Control and Command Centre, located in Banjara Hills of Hyderabad.
Race for transparency
The one year of Congress rule is a mixed bag in terms of democratic dividend for Telangana. The change declared in ‘Marpu Kavali’ is there but there is a long distance to go. The most dramatic change was the removal of fortified barricades at Somajiguda, in front of official residence of former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. Built in the middle of the road it blocked traffic forcing pedestrians to walk on the middle of the road and it showed the might and authority of the Chief Minister. Now it is gone.
But as politicians are detained following complaints by rivals, the question about expansion of democratic space is again in the reckoning. Can Telangana have more democratic space than other States?
Published – December 07, 2024 06:41 pm IST
