Farmers Movement Archive

Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao meets Amit Shah, urges him to release Rs 5,000 crore flood aid

HYDERABAD: Reiterating his demand, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday urged the Centre to release Rs 5,000 crore towards relief and rehabilitation of flood-affected families in Hyderabad and farmers whose crops were damaged in continuous rains and floods in Telangana. The CM met Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi and made the request. The CM told Shah that the state had already spent Rs 700 crore to provide relief to the flood-hit families in Greater Hyderabad, sources said. KCR also recalled having written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 15 seeking Rs 5,000 crore with an immediate relief of Rs 1,350 crore during his meeting with Shah. Stressing that not a single paisa had been released by the Centre so far, KCR urged the home minister to ensure release of financial assistance at the earliest. KCR also brought to the notice of Shah that the Presidential Order needs to be amended to include new districts under the zonal system. This is the first visit of KCR to Delhi in nearly a year as he had not gone to Delhi ever since the pandemic broke out in the country. The CM is expected to meet Modi during his three-day stay. The CMO has reportedly sought an appointment with the PM and is waiting for a confirmation. The CM is expected to return to Hyderabad on Sunday. Earlier, he went in a special aircraft from Begumpet airport. The CM’s visit to Delhi assumes significance as he had openly supported the Bharat Bandh of farmers on December 8 demanding repeal of the three farm laws. Though party sources said KCR would be interacting with farmers’ unions protesting against the farm laws, he did not meet them on Friday. KCR met jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and is expected to meet other Union ministers and raise various issues, especially the pending disbursement of funds due to Telangana, and also visit the site allotted by the Centre for construction of TRS party office. Visit in backdrop of BJP’s rise in TelanganaKCR’s visit comes in the backdrop of rise of BJP in Greater Hyderabad which has 24 assembly constituencies and five Lok Sabha seats and his direct appeal to the voters to ‘save Hyderabad’ from divisive forces though he did not name any party. KCR’s Delhi tour has also turned into a major point of discussion in political circles after his hard-hitting remarks against the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre during the recent GHMC elections and his announcement of forming a federal front as an alternative to BJP at the Centre. KCR has also been critical about the Centre being partial in terms of disbursement of funds to BJP-ruled states while neglecting Telangana.

The Times of India

2020-12-12

Hyderabad