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Union Budget: All key demands of Telangana ignored

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The Union Budget 2022-23 came as a big shock for Telangana as all its demands for additional funds and new projects were ignored.

The budget speech of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also had no mention of the commitments made to the state under Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014.

The state had high hopes from the budget and it had demanded allocation of Rs 60,000 crore for various projects. It was for this reason the budget evoked angry reaction from Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who termed it as ‘golmal’ and ‘useless’ budget.

Telangana’s long pending demand for national status to either Kaleshwaram or Palamuru-Rangareddy lift irrigation projects was again ignored by the Centre.

As per the budget estimates, Telangana will get Rs 17,165 crore during 2022-23 as its share in the central taxes. This is Rs 3,175.85 crore higher than the 2021-22 budget estimates and Rs 1,240.14 crore higher than the revised estimates.

However, there was no allocation to the state in addition to the state’s share in central taxes, funds for local bodies as per the recommendation of Finance Commission and allocation for centrally sponsored schemes.

With the Centre imposing a huge cut of Rs 25,000 crore on allocation of MGNREGS across the country, the flow of funds to the state under the rural employment guarantee scheme is likely to be badly hit.

Telangana has 1.19 crore workers registered under the scheme and they are provided work for 100 days in a year with minimum daily wages of Rs 237. With the cut in allocation the state may be forced to cut the number of workers or work days under the scheme. For the current financial year, the state has received Rs 3,053 crore under the central scheme.

The Centre also did not take the recommendation of 15th Finance Commission to allocate Rs 2,362 crore for state-specific grants for four years from 2022-23 into consideration. As per this recommendation, the state was expecting Rs 471 crore every year.

The state has also not received arrears towards the special assistance for development of backward areas under AP Reorganisation Act. For the last three years, the state government had been demanding release of Rs 24,205 crore as per the recommendation of NITI Aayog.

Similarly, the demand to allocate funds for Mission Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya as per the recommendation of NITI Aayog was once again ignored. Ahead of the budget, state finance minister T. Harish Rao had written to union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman seeking Rs 5,205 crore for Mission Kakatiya, Rs 19,000 crore for Mission Bhagiratha as recommended by NITI Aayog.

Under Mission Kakatiya, the government has taken up revival of irrigation tanks and while Mission Bhagiratha is aimed at supplying drinking water to every house by laying pipelines.

Though the Telangana government has been urging the Centre for last seven years to fulfill the commitments made in AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, the same were ignored once again.

Under the Act, the Centre had promised railway coach factory at Kazipet, a tribal university and a steel factory at Bayyaram.

Telangana’s repeated demand for revival of Information Technology and Investment Region (ITIR) was once again ignored. In 2014, the then Congress-led UPA government had sanctioned ITIR for Hyderabad but after BJP-led NDA came to power, the project was shelved.

The state had also demanded setting up of IIM, Navodaya Vidayalayas, six industrial corridors, funds for Kakatiya mega textile park, Hyderabad Pharma City and various other urban infrastructure projects.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government has been demanding that a progressive state like Telangana should be encouraged with allocation of funds and projects. The party leaders said once again the state was given a raw deal.

Ahead of the budget, Telangana ministers wrote a series of letters to Sitharaman seeking funds and projects for the state.

Minister for industries, information technology, municipal administration and urban development, K.T. Rama Rao, finance minister T. Harish Rao and tribal welfare minister Satyavathi Rathod wrote to Sitharaman and other union ministers seeking nearly Rs 60,000 crore to Telangana in the budget.

Rama Rao had sought Rs 7,800 crore for urban development, Rs 954 crore for textiles and handlooms, R. 14,000 crore for Hyderabad Pharma City.

State Planning Commission vice-chairman B. Vinod Kumar wrote to the Railway Minister seeking completion of pending railway projects and announcement of new railway lines for Telangana in the budget.

Business

Jupiter Wagons’ net profit falls nearly 2 pc in Q4, revenue slips

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Mumbai, May 19: Railway wagons and components manufacturer Jupiter Wagons on Monday reported a decline of 1.9 per cent in its net profit at Rs 103 crore in Q4 FY25, down from Rs 105 crore in the same period last fiscal.

The profit before tax (PBT) also declined by 8.26 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 127.47 crore from Rs 138.95 crore, according to its stock exchange filing.

The company’s consolidated total income also saw a decline, falling to Rs 1,057 crore from Rs 1,127 crore a year earlier — a drop of around 6.2 per cent.

Similarly, revenue from operations decreased by approximately 6.4 per cent, from Rs 1,115.41 crore in the year-ago period to Rs 1,044.54 crore in the last quarter of FY25.

Despite the revenue dip, Jupiter Wagons managed to reduce its total expenses to Rs 923.34 crore in Q4, down 6.4 per cent compared to Rs 986.41 crore in the same quarter last financial year.

However, on a sequential basis, expenses rose by about 1.56 per cent compared to Rs 909.16 crore in Q3.

The company’s EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) rose slightly to Rs 153 crore from Rs 147 crore last fiscal, with the EBITDA margin improving to 14.6 per cent from 13.2 per cent.

Shares of Jupiter Wagons Limited fell by Rs 13.1 or 3.1 per cent to close the intra-day trading session at Rs 408.95 on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on Monday.

Speaking about the full financial year, Managing Director Vivek Lohia described FY25 as a transformative year for Jupiter Wagons.

He highlighted several strategic wins, including major contracts with Braithwaite for wheelsets.

“The company also secured brake system contracts worth over Rs 215 crore,” Lohia mentioned.

Lohia emphasised the company’s push into electric mobility with the inauguration of a new facility in Pithampur.

“This state-of-the-art plant is expected to drive battery production and supply to Indian Railways and private partners, along with orders for complete Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS),” he said.

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Business

Govt unlikely to renew IndiGo pact with Turkish Airlines

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New Delhi, May 19: The government is unlikely to extend the commercial airline IndiGo’s leasing agreement with Turkish Airlines due to strained diplomatic relations following Turkey’s open support for Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor launched by India to avenge the killings of 26 tourists.

“The current pact, which enables IndiGo to operate wide-body aircraft on the Delhi-Istanbul route, expires on May 31. The government review is underway and the deal is unlikely to be renewed given the broader diplomatic context,” according to an Media report, citing people in the know.

IndiGo currently operates over 500-seater Airbus A330s on lease from Turkish Airlines for its Istanbul flights. The partnership also includes a codeshare deal that allows IndiGo to sell connections to over 40 destinations in Europe and North America via Istanbul.

On Thursday, IndiGo defended the collaboration, calling it “strategic” and essential for offering Indian flyers long-haul international access.

Apart from the vocal support during the heinous Pahalgam massacre, Turkey has also supplied drones to Pakistan, which were used to attack India during Operation Sindoor.

The issue of renewal of the IndiGo agreement with Turkish Airlines comes up at a time when India is already snapping ties with Turkish businesses and universities.

The government on Thursday revoked the security clearance for Turkish ground-handling firm Celebi Airport Services at Indian airports, due to national security concerns.

The Turkish company handled around 70 per cent of the ground operations at Mumbai airport, including passenger services, load control, flight operations, cargo and postal services, warehouses and bridge operations.

Adani Airport Holdings has also scrapped its agreement with Turkish company DragonPass to provide the latter’s customers access to its airport lounges.

“Our association with DragonPass, which provided access to airport lounges, has been terminated with immediate effect. DragonPass customers will no longer have access to lounges at Adani-managed airports. This change will have no impact on the airport lounge and travel experience for other customers,” the Adani Airport Holdings spokesperson said on Thursday.

Hundreds of Indian tourists have cancelled their trips to Turkey and Azerbaijan as part of the nationalistic backlash against these countries for supporting Pakistan in the conflict with India. Leading online travel booking platforms MakeMyTrip and EaseMyTrip have reported mass cancellations and a sharp drop in Indian tourists wanting to travel to Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Similarly, many Indian universities, including Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, and Maulana Azad National Urdu University, have suspended academic ties with Turkish institutions.

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Business

DPIIT, GEAPP partner to boost opportunities for clean energy startups in India: Official

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Mumbai, May 17: The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) to enhance opportunities for clean energy startups in India, Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced on Saturday.

Sanjiv, Joint Secretary, DPIIT said the collaboration will help startups scale technologies that support India’s long-term net-zero goals.

“India’s climate leadership depended on a strong entrepreneurial base. The partnership would open significant opportunities for clean energy startups to scale technologies that support the country’s long-term net-zero objectives,” he stated.

Under the two-year partnership, both organisations aim to boost innovation, sustainability, and entrepreneurship in the clean energy and manufacturing sectors.

The initiative will support early-stage climate-tech startups by helping them access funding, mentorship, pilot projects, and market connections. There is also a provision to extend the partnership beyond the initial term.

As part of the MoU, GEAPP will launch the Energy Transitions Innovation Challenge (ENTICE) — a platform that will offer up to $500,000 in rewards for impactful clean energy solutions.

Investment support will be provided through partners such as Spectrum Impact and Avana Capital.

DPIIT will help link the programme with the Startup India network and ensure its reach through various government schemes.

Sanjiv said India’s leadership in climate action depends on building a strong entrepreneurial base and added that this partnership is a step in that direction.

Saurabh Kumar, Vice President – India at GEAPP, called the MoU a key milestone to drive systemic change.

He said the combined strengths of GEAPP’s global experience, DPIIT’s institutional backing, and Startup India’s network would create new avenues for clean energy innovation in the country.

The agreement was signed by Dr Sumeet Jarangal and Saurabh Kumar in the presence of senior officials from both organisations.

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