BJP postpones membership drive, cadre told to take part in relief works

Hyderabad: Union Minister for Coal and Mines and Telangana BJP state chief G Kishan Reddy said that the party membership enrollment drive scheduled to start on Tuesday has been postponed. Instead, the party cadre and leaders were asked to participate in the flood relief and rehabilitation activities, extending their cooperation to the government machinery.

Addressing the media here on Tuesday, he said the new membership enrollment schedule will be announced later. The Union Minister said 11 districts in the state have been facing heavy rains for the past four days and Khammam, and Mahabubabad were worst affected. Unfortunately, there was a loss of lives, loss of property and crops, and damages to the national highways and train tracks were also reported disrupting the movement of people.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, and the Centre has rushed the NDRF teams to assist the state government in its rescue and relief operations. The Union Home Ministry is keeping in touch with the State chief secretary, the developments in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are regularly monitored to coordinate and extend the support needed.

Kishan Reddy said that the PMO has directed to take steps on war footing to restore the normal functioning of the national highways. Works are being carried out to repair and restore the railway lines as the tracks were damaged in the Khammam and Warangal districts.

Kishan Reddy said that though there were advanced warnings, several village-level tanks were breached and unfortunately loss of life took place.

BJP Chief JP Nadda has asked that the party cadre and leaders do not make any political statements or criticism even if there are any shortcomings when the people are facing troubles and the entire government machinery into relief operations. The party cadre is asked to reach out to the people by distributing food, and water and assist in shifting people from the low-lying areas to the safe shelters.

People in many villages are waiting for relief operations to reach them. The state government has Rs 1,345 crore in its SDRF fund. Besides, Rs 208 crore was pending release as the state government has not submitted the utilisation certificates. However, "I have spoken to the secretary of the concerned ministry and asked for the releasse of funds. Also, as soon as the State government submits its report on the damages, the central teams will visit to assess the damage caused, so that the Center can release additonal funds," he added.

Kishan Reddy said that the State government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the loss of life. "I don't know if it includes the central assistance as well. But, the Centre provides Rs 3 lakh for the loss of life, Rs 2.5 lakh for the disability Rs 16,000 for more than 7 days of hospitalisation and Rs Rs 5,400 for less than a week of hospitalisation.

Also, Rs 2,500 for loss of clothes, Rs 2,500 for utensils, Rs 35,500 for loss of cattle and Rs 4,000 for loss of sheep and goats, Rs 32,000 per hector of damage of the crops, and additional man-days of work under MGNREGA, Rs 18,000 per hectare for the distillation and removal of sand from the cultivable lands and loss of horticulture crops. However, the assessment of these is in the hands of the State government and it has to submit the details to obtain these additional funds from the Centre, he said.

Kishan Reddy said that the practice of declaring a natural calamity as a national calamity is no longer there. Secondly, the PM will visit the affected areas. However, immediate visits will disrupt the momentum of the relief operations and that was the reason Modi visited the Wayanad disaster site after the operations were completed, he added.

He said that the state government should take steps to form doctor teams and ensure that communicable diseases are not spread.

He said that the Telangana Liberation Day will be held on September 17 under the aegis of the Centre at Secunderabad Parade Grounds in the name of Hyderabad Mukti Diwas.