Telangana CM Revanth Reddy
Credit: PTI Photo
Hyderabad: The Telangana government rejected the Rs 100 crore donation pledged by the Adani Group for the construction of Young India Skills University. In this regard, the state government had written to Adani Foundation chairperson Priti Adani.
The Congress government faced criticism for accepting the donation from the Adani Group, which a US court accused of bribing government officials in Indian states to secure solar power deals. The opposition BRS has seized the opportunity to criticize the Congress's government for its collaboration with the Adani Group, particularly in light of the US court's indictment of the group's founder, Gautam Adani, and other top executives.
Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani personally handed over the cheque for Rs 100 crore to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy a few months ago. However, the government has not yet received these funds.
“Certain factions have been accusing the state government of receiving funds from the Adani Group. The rule provides everyone with the opportunity to invest legally. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made it clear that the company that won the bids as per the rules will get the opportunity to invest. Several companies have come forward to provide funds under the Corpus Fund for the Skills University, which is being set up by the Telangana government ambitiously. As part of that, the Adani Group came forward and announced Rs 100 crore for the university. Till now, the Telangana government has not taken funds from any company, including Adani. In the wake of the ongoing controversies, the government wrote a letter stating that the state government is not ready to accept Rs 100 crore in funds offered by the Adani Group. The letter mentioned that Rs. 100 crore should not be transferred to the state government. Telangana has nothing to do with the controversies surrounding the Adani Company in neighbouring states and in other countries,” Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy told reporters on Monday.
He added that the Skills University was started with a good intention, and the government did not want to make it controversial. This is the rationale behind the government's decision to decline a Rs 100 crore donation from Adani. He appealed to all to stop looking at the issue from a political angle and make it controversial.
Revanth Reddy also said that some forces are counting his Delhi tours. "I am not going to Delhi to bow down before PM Modi, unlike you. I won't travel to Delhi to cling to someone's leg in an attempt to evade legal proceedings or to implore the governor to withhold approval. Telangana has endured a great deal of hardship over the past decade. It is our right to get funds from the center. The BJP is not giving funds to the state from the party's treasury. It is given from the central government treasury. The government will get funds only when we go and meet the union ministers without showing political bias. Will go to Delhi regularly for funds. We don’t care about the allegations levelled against us,” he added.
He also said that the then-BRS government had entered into many agreements with the Adani Group and is now accusing the Congress government. While BRS working president KT Rama Rao claimed that his government had never allowed the Adani Group to enter Telangana, Revanth Reddy provided a list of the Adani Group's businesses and investments in Telangana over the last ten years.