Telangana Finance Minister Etela Rajender and state Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy today urged the Centre to ensure that banks in the state had sufficient cash.
The duo called on Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Delhi and submitted a memorandum urging him to issue directives ensuring that adequate cash was available in banks, which they said were facing a severe cash shortage.
Speaking to reporters later, the Telangana ministers said that they had requested the Centre to provide adequate cash in banks within the state in order to carry out the state government's scheme for disbursing crop investment.
The inflow of cash would enable the government to distribute cheques worth Rs 6,000 crores as per its plan to grant farmers Rs 4,000 per acre for crop investment in May, they said.
They also said that the Centre must take steps to reduce the GST on sprinkler irrigation.
The meeting assumed significance as the state government had been informed about the shortage of cash by the bankers, with the latter adding that unless the demand for cash was met, banks would be unable to cater to the needs of the crop investment scheme.
As the state was keen on carrying out its programs on welfare, irrigation and development, the ministers said that the Centre should cooperate with it by infusing cash on time.
Rajender will also be attending the GST Council meeting, scheduled to be held in Delhi on January 18.
filed in:Etala Rajender, TRS, Centre, Banks, Cash, Arun Jaitley