Fiscal federalism under threat: Bhatti

DEPUTY Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who also holds the Finance portfolio, said the Union Budget has once again failed to address the critical challenges faced by Telangana.

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @Hyderabad

DEPUTY Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who also holds the Finance portfolio, said the Union Budget has once again failed to address the critical challenges faced by Telangana. He argued that the increased cesses, while reducing customs duties on certain goods, would shrink the divisible pool of taxes, negatively impacting states' revenue share. He pointed out that the rise in Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) allocations, while notable, moves away from the principles of fiscal federalism, undermining state autonomy. Vikramarka emphasised that despite repeated calls for greater autonomy, the Centre's fiscal decisions continue to disregard state priorities.