Telangana CM Reddy questions PM Modi’s 'development' claim cites job crisis in UP

Hyderabad, Mar 20 (PTI) Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Thursday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claims of ensuring the country’s development, asking why job opportunities are lacking in states like Uttar Pradesh, forcing people from northern states to migrate south for employment and livelihood.
    Speaking at an event where he handed over appointment letters to newly recruited government employees, Reddy said southern states like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka have witnessed major infrastructure development, attracting investments from companies.
    "Narendra Modi ji sometimes says... He is the Prime Minister of the country, and I have a lot of respect for him. He says, ‘I have developed the country.’ I am happy about it. When someone has the opportunity to be Prime Minister thrice, they are bound to achieve something," he said.
    He claimed that people from northern states, including Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, are coming to places like Hyderabad for jobs.
    "If development has taken place, why are jobs not available in Uttar Pradesh, which you represent in the Lok Sabha? Why are our people not going there in search of jobs? Why are jobs not available in Gujarat, where you were born and raised? Why aren’t people migrating there instead?" Reddy asked.
    He added that migrants from Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Odisha also come to southern cities like Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad for employment opportunities.
    "I would like to ask him (Modi)... Have we achieved development, or have you? Our regions are the true addresses of development. We are known for our hard work. Some people know how to market themselves; they have the intelligence for that. But we know how to work hard," he said.
    Referring to opposition BRS Working President K TRama Rao’s comments on the expenditure for the Miss World pageant, scheduled to be held in Telangana in May, Reddy said the month-long event would boost the hospitality industry and promote the state as a global tourist destination.
    On the allegations against Rama Rao regarding the Formula E race held in Hyderabad under the previous BRS regime, Reddy accused him of "misusing" government funds and said he is under investigation.
    Rama Rao was earlier questioned by the state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau regarding the Formula E race controversy.
    Revanth Reddy, who has frequently highlighted Telangana’s financial struggles due to debts incurred by the previous BRS regime, said the government has paid approximately Rs 1.53 lakh crore toward debt servicing in the past 15 months.
    "If that Rs 1.53 lakh crore had been available, I would have ensured the implementation of housing schemes for the poor and other welfare programmes," the CM said.
    Noting that around Rs 8,000 crore in retirement benefits for government employees is pending, he added that securing new loans has become difficult for the state.
    "Today, Telangana has a big name, but getting loans is not easy. If I speak like this, people say, ‘How can you openly speak the truth? How can you harm the state’s prestige?’ But for how long should the truth be hidden? If there is cancer, how can I claim to have a six-pack?" he said.
    Reddy also claimed that the BRS government took loans at interest rates as high as 11 per cent and said he is now restructuring the state’s debts by making rounds of Delhi.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)