`WAR OF WORDS` breaks out between Union Minister and Telangana Minister, both claims `ZERO`

Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao targeted PM Narendra Modi for not giving approval to medical college in the state, to which Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has also given a befitting reply.

Telangana minister KT Rama Rao recently alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not sanctioned any medical college for the state. On this, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Monday that no formal proposal has been received from the state to set up new medical colleges in Telangana. KT Rama Rao, the IT and Industries Minister in the Telangana government, is the son of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. In a series of tweets on Sunday, he said that the Chief Minister has approved 16 new medical colleges and work is underway on 13 others. The TRS leader said, "Now, let me tell you how many medical colleges our PM Modi ji sanctioned to Telangana - zero."

In response to Minister KT Rama Rao's tweet, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya did a tweet on Monday. He wrote in his tweet, "How many proposals have been sent for medical colleges by your Telangana State Government? 'Zero'." He further said that PM Modi has given the maximum number of Government Medical Colleges in the shortest possible time. It has been approved in the states which had made the proposal."

KTR also posted two communications of former Union health ministers to the state government in 2015 and 2019. With this, he wrote, "I wish you had reviewed before replying. The responses of your predecessors on the requests of Telangana Health Ministers of 2015 and 2019 are attached." He said, "Telangana government has continuously requested for medical colleges, but the fact is that your government has given zero."

Mandaviya also posted a previous communication made to Telangana by his predecessor Harsh Vardhan in August 2019, in which the existing district hospitals in two districts of Telangana were upgraded to medical colleges. He also attached the reply given in Parliament in December 2021. With this, Mandaviya wrote, "With all due respect, please read the third paragraph of my predecessor's letter and the recent reply given in Parliament. Please understand this. Center has always requested the state of Telangana to send a formal proposal along with the DPR as planned."

Mandaviya also underlined in a separate tweet that there is a difference between sending a simple letter and a formal proposal as per the requirements of the scheme.