Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman fired a salvo at chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao and asked how the CM could call PM Modi’s ‘$5 trillion economy’ target a joke. “Whom are you laughing at? On the people? Every state should contribute towards it,” the finance minister said in Hyderabad replying to a question from a reporter. “In 2014, the debt of Telangana was ₹60,000 crores, but in the last 7-8 years it has crossed ₹3 lakh crores,” the finance minister said.
KCR who is spearheading a national opposition ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha as his Telangana Rashtra Samithi becomes Bharat Rashtra Samithi recently questioned the $5 trillion economy and called it ‘silly’, a “joke”. “By 2023-24, Modi said India will become a USD 5 trillion economy. That 5 trillion (economy) itself is a joke. Really silly. At least our aim should be big. We should dare to dream. That 5 trillion aim is very less,” KCR said. This is something an ordinary clerk can account for, KCR said.
“What is the extra effort you are putting in? Nothing. If you are able to do it, If you’ve innovative skills, if you are a dynamic government, please do something like china in the line of Deng Xiaoping, something in line with Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore. That is something great, not USD 5 trillion economy,” the chief minister said.
KCR’s daughter and MLC Kavitha said there is nothing wrong with what KCR said. “I want to ask Nirmala Sitharaman who repeatedly says that our competition is with China — China’s economy is over $18 trillion. So why our goal is $5 trillion? Why aren’t we aiming higher when we have a high working population and so many resources,” Kavitha said to ANI.
“Due to the myopic policies of the Central govt, this potential isn’t being unlocked today. We need better policies. Modi govt only makes policies for the rich, they’re corporate-friendly & are not poor-friendly,” Kavitha who is on the radar of central investigative agencies because of her alleged link with the Delhi liquor policy scam said.
