New Delhi: Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Monday urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to immediately release Rs 11,713 crore to the state for the restoration and repair of infrastructure damaged by the recent heavy rains.
Reddy met with Shah and informed him that the heavy rains which occurred from August 31 to September 8 severely affected Telangana, claiming 37 lives, with over a lakh livestock and other animals lost. Additionally, crops spread over 4.15 lakh acres, roads, culverts, causeways, tanks, ponds and canals were damaged, the chief minister said. He shared these details with the Union home minister and explained that the state has already initiated the restoration and repair works.
Reddy told Shah that a central team visited the state and submitted a report on September 30, estimating a damage of Rs 11,713 crore. The chief minister highlighted that the funds currently available were insufficient to address the damage, and urged for the immediate release of these funds, a statement from the Chief Minister's Office said.
Reddy also pointed out that the central government has released Rs 416.80 crore under the first and second instalments of SDRF for Telangana for the financial year 2024-25. He requested that the funds for the restoration work not be tied to the SDRF allocations, and assured that SDRF funds for this fiscal year would be fully utilised.
The chief minister also urged Shah to reinstate Adilabad, Mancherial and Kumram Bheem Asifabad districts under the Left-Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected areas. Given that Telangana shares borders with Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh states impacted by LWE the CM stressed the need for enhanced focus on state security. He requested the establishment of CRPF JTF camps in Kondavai village of Charla Mandal, Bhadradri Kothagudem district, and Alubaka village in Venkatapuram Mandal, Mulugu district.
Reddy further requested the strengthening of police stations in border areas, including in Mulugu and Jayashankar Bhupalpally districts. He informed the Union minister that newly recruited police personnel in the state were being trained in anti-extremist tactics (AET) through the Greyhounds, and an additional budget of Rs 25.59 crore was required for this type of training for 2024-25.
He also requested Shah to help resolve the pending issues related to the state's bifurcation. He called for efforts to amicably resolve the disputes over government buildings and corporations listed under Schedule 9 (as per Sections 53, 68, and 71 of the law) and the institutional disputes under Schedule 10 (as per Section 75).
The CM asked for the protection of Telangana's rights concerning assets and institutions not explicitly mentioned in the bifurcation law but claimed by Andhra Pradesh. Reddy also requested the Union minister to allot 29 additional IPS posts to Telangana. He pointed out that during the state's bifurcation, only 76 IPS officers were allocated to Telangana. He urged a review of the IPS cadre as soon as possible.
