Congress govt added Rs 2000 cr within 2 months through Transport dept: Harish Rao

Hyderabad: Former minister T Harish Rao came down heavily on the Telangana government, alleging that it has imposed an additional burden of nearly Rs 2,000 crore on the public within just two months through the Transport department.

Speaking after reviewing the distribution of urea and interacting with farmers at the Palamaku Cooperative Society in Nangunuru mandal of Siddipet district, Rao accused the government of shutting down subsidies while continuously increasing taxes.

He pointed out that the government has hiked quarterly vehicle tax, service charges, and service tax, making life difficult for ordinary citizens. Rao expressed concern over the back-to-back deflation in Telangana for the second consecutive month, something that has never occurred since the state’s formation.

“During 2023-24 under BJP rule, the state earned Rs 7,100 crore in tax revenues, but last year it dropped to Rs 6,900 crore. Now, for 2025-26, they have projected Rs 8,535 crore revenue, promising at that time that no new taxes would be imposed. But today, multiple types of taxes are being raised indiscriminately. How is this justified?” Rao questioned.

Purchasing power declined: Harish Rao

He further said that with reduced money in people’s hands, purchasing power has declined. “Unlike other states where vehicle purchases have gone up, in Telangana they have fallen sharply,” he added.

He also pointed out that toll taxes were increased three months ago, and now bus fares, liquor prices, and even the cost of agricultural seeds are rising.

“Soon, they will even hike land registration charges. Farmers are struggling for fertilisers, while BJP and Congress leaders are only busy fighting and blaming each other for political mileage,” he alleged.

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