Flood relief funds from Centre: Telangana not happy with announcement; seeks assistance on a par with Andhra Pradesh

A couple of days ago, the Central Government announced the release of ₹416.8 crore to Telangana as Central share from the State Disaster Relief Fund

The Telangana Government is thoroughly dissatisfied with the Central Government’s gesture of releasing meagre funds for relief and rehabilitation works in the areas affected by recent floods that wreaked havoc in some districts.

A couple of days ago, the Central Government announced the release of ₹416.8 crore to Telangana as Central share from the State Disaster Relief Fund and advance from the National Disaster Relief Fund. This is not even five per cent of the State Government’s estimates of ₹10,320 crore damages suffered due to the floods.

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The losses which were estimated at ₹5,438 crore initially increased to ₹10,320 crore after assessment at the field level. Of these, damages to roads (both R&B and Panchayat Raj roads) were pegged at ₹7,693.53 crore while losses suffered by the Urban Development Department stood at ₹1,216.17 crore in the revised estimates submitted to the Centre.

The release comes at a time when Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy made a fervent plea with the Centre to liberally extend assistance keeping in view the magnitude of losses incurred by Telangana. In a representation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister wanted the Centre to release immediate assistance of ₹2,000 crore, but the recent announcement by the Centre left the State high and dry.

Mr. Revanth Reddy met Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan who, accompanied by his Cabinet colleague Bandi Sanjay Kumar, conducted an aerial visit of the flood-affected areas and explained to him about the heavy losses suffered on account of the incessant rains and floods that followed. He requested the Centre to extend assistance on a par with Andhra Pradesh treating both the States equally.

Mr. Chouhan, on his part, assured the Chief Minister that there would not be any consideration of political parties or politics in extending relief to the flood hit people. However, the Centre has announced ₹1,036 crore assistance to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh which secured highest relief next only to Maharashtra (₹1,492 crore).

This, senior officials said, exposed the preferential treatment of the Central Government towards the BJP and non-BJP ruled States. They recalled that the Inter-Ministerial Central Team visited the State twice to assess the losses, but the exercise has not translated into any tangible results to the State which is left to deal with the damages on its own.

The Centre’s announcement on its part is likely to land the State BJP leadership in a piquant situation as Telangana secured nominal relief in spite of presence of two MPs of the eight MPs from the State – G. Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar – in the Union Cabinet.

Published - October 04, 2024 04:02 pm IST