HYDERABAD: BRS senior leader and former Finance Minister T Harish Rao strongly criticised the Congress-led Telangana government on Tuesday, citing official figures that show the state recorded only 0% GST growth in March 2025 and a meagre 5.1% growth for the entire financial year 2024–25—well below the national average of 10%.
In a post on social media platform X, Harish Rao accused Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka of misleading the Assembly by claiming a 12.3% GST growth rate. Harish Rao stated that he had earlier warned that the actual figure might be closer to 5.5%, which has now been officially confirmed to be even lower.
Calling the state’s GST performance the worst since the COVID-19 lockdown period, Harish Rao attributed the slump to a series of policy missteps by the Congress government. Chief among them, he said, was the failure to disburse ₹12,000 crore in pending Rythu Bharosa payments—₹8,000 crore for Kharif and ₹4,000 crore for Rabi seasons—which he said had significantly eroded rural purchasing power.
He also criticised high-profile projects such as the Hydra and Musi river beautification initiatives, labelling them “bulldozer policies” that diverted resources from productive investments. The decision to scrap the Pharma City project and the inconsistency in Hyderabad Metro Rail expansion plans had further dented business confidence, he alleged.
“When people have no money in their hands, how will consumption rise? How will GST grow?” Harish Rao asked, adding that the Finance Minister had not only misled the legislature but also every hardworking citizen of Telangana.
He concluded by demanding accountability from the Congress government, stating: “Never before has Telangana recorded such low GST growth, except during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Shame! Time for accountability. Numbers don’t lie. People are watching.”
Telangana records just 0% GST growth in March 2025 and only 5.1% growth in FY 2024-25, far below the national average of 10%.
This completely exposes the @Bhatti_Mallu Dy CM and Finance Minister’s false claim in the Assembly of 12.3% GST growth. I had earlier cautioned that the… pic.twitter.com/v4XuRc3O2k
— Harish Rao Thanneeru (@BRSHarish) April 8, 2025
