Telangana government criticized for spending Rs 200 crore

Telangana's opposition party, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), is criticizing Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for a proposed spending of Rs 200 crore on the Miss World pageant. They are doing this after he admitted there is a revenue shortfall of Rs 71,000 and not enough funds to pay salaries. During a budget session in the Assembly, BRS lawmakers protested against the expenditure, bringing dried crops to highlight claims of a "Congress-made drought." They demanded financial support for farmers instead of funds for the beauty contest. BRS leader KT Rama Rao, also known as KTR, called the spending "perverse logic," questioning how spending public money on a pageant is acceptable while his party is facing allegations over a Formula-E race scam. KTR sharply criticized the Congress government for its financial management, pointing out the negative growth in the state. He questioned the government's claims that everything is fine in Telangana when, in reality, the Chief Minister confessed to significant financial issues. The BRS has expressed concerns about what they see as the Congress party's double standards, especially regarding financial priorities and development in the state. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Reddy has accused the previous BRS government of creating the current financial problems, claiming they left behind a massive debt burden. Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka stated that the government is working to resolve financial issues and has already settled Rs 10,000 crore in dues. The Miss World pageant will again be hosted in India this year, following the 2024 edition that took place in Mumbai.