Telangana won’t accept Rs 100-crore Adani funding: Revanth Reddy amid criticism

The Congress government in Telangana has turned down funding of Rs 100 crore from the Adani Group for a skills university aimed at developing industry-specific abilities among young people. This comes amid a controversy over US prosecutors indicting industrialist Gautam Adani and seven others for allegedly paying bribes to Indian government officials for securing solar power contracts.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said the state government did not take any funds or donations for the Young India Skills University from any organisation, including the Adani Group.
“The Telangana government has not taken any funds or donations for the Young India Skills University from any organisation, including Adani. Yesterday, the government wrote to Adani Group that they will not accept Rs 100 crore that was promised by them for the skill university,” Reddy said.
“Rahul Gandhi has clearly said that the state government or central government must call for tenders. With a proper systematic process in a democratic way, the tenders will be allotted, be it Adani, Ambani or Tata,” he added.
The Chief Minister said that many companies had given funds to the Young India Skills University.
Many companies have given funds to the Young India Skills University. In the same way, the Adani Group also offered us Rs 100 crore. I would like to reiterate the decision by the state government that it will not accept the Rs 100 crore from Adani Group,” he said.
Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary, Government Commissioner for Industrial Promotion, Telangana, wrote to Adani Foundation chairperson, Dr Priti Adani.
“We are thankful to you for committing Rs 100 crore to Young India Skills University on behalf of your foundation in your letter dated October 18, 2024. We have so far not asked any of the donors for a physical transfer of funds since the university had not received the IT exemption under section 80G,” the letter read.
“Though this exemption order has now come recently, I have been instructed by the Chief Minister not to seek a transfer of funds in view of the present circumstances and arising controversies,” it stated.
On October 18, Gautam Adani handed over a cheque of Rs 100 crore to Reddy towards the establishment of the Young India Skills University.
“A delegation from Adani Foundation, led by Chairperson of Adani Group, Gautam Adani, met with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to hand over a donation cheque of Rs 100 crore towards the establishment of Young India Skills University,” the Telangana Chief Minister’s Office posted on X.
The donation had drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties, with both the BJP and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) accusing the Congress of “double-talks” in its stance on Adani.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) echoed similar sentiments, accusing the Congress of inconsistency. “On one side, Rahul Gandhi and the Congress call PM Narendra Modi and Adani ‘Modani’ and oppose their friendship. But what we see in Telangana is Revanth and Adani ‘Revdani’, or, can be called Rahul Gandhi and Adani as ‘Ragadani’,” KTR said.
Earlier, KTR demanded that Telangana cancel all contracts with Adani Group worth Rs 12,400 crore, including investments in green energy, data centres, and cement industries.
Taking a dig at the Congress, BJP’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya said, “Despite Rahul Gandhi screaming ‘Adani Adani’ all day, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy goes ahead and accepts a ‘donation’ from Gautam Adani. It must feel awful to be treated like a doormat by your own Chief Ministers.”
Last week, US prosecutors indicted Gautam Adani and seven others for alleged involvement in a $265 million scheme to bribe Indian government officials to secure power supply contracts. The Adani Group has denied the charges, calling them baseless.
Earlier today, the winter session of Parliament began but was adjourned for the day after the Opposition created chaos in the House and demanded a discussion into the bribery allegations against the Adani Group.