Hyderabad: State IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu has criticised the Union government for maintaining “stoic silence” on the United States’ decision to hike H-1B visa fees steeply. Addressing the media here, Sridhar Babu said that 72 to 73 per cent of H-1B visa holders are Indians, and the fee hike—reportedly up to 100,000 US dollars annually—would affect Indian professionals disproportionately. Now it has gone ahead with with an H-1B fee hike. Calling for immediate diplomatic engagement, the Minister urged the Centre to secure temporary exemptions for existing H-1B visa holders, secure interests of Indian IT professionals, and protect families dependent on overseas remittances. Unfortunately, the present Union government treats only BJP-ruled states as partners in governance, while states like Telangana are consistently ignored,” he said.