Centre tells Telangana to give proof of utilisation for more funds

Hyderabad: In the wake of allegations and counter-allegations being made by BJP national president Amit Shah and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, the Centre has made it clear no more funds will be released unless the state submits utilisation certificates for funds released in the past.

The TS finance department had written to the Centre requesting the release of Rs 450 crore under the Backward Areas Development Fund, as promised in the AP Reorganisation Act.

Over the past two years, the Centre has released Rs 900



crore under these funds.

Last year it released Rs 450 crore to TS without utilisation certificates for the previous year's funds being submitted. But this time, it responded to the TS government's request by asking it to submit the certificates.

The state government accordingly submitted the utilisation certificates, but the Centre said that the certificates lacked sufficient details.

The Centre has asked for details of all works taken up under the scheme to be submitted; this includes details such as length of roads laid.