Telangana CM KCR seeks Centre's help for flood relief

New Delhi: Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao met Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah for over one hour on Friday. The Chief Minister, according to sources, is said to have submitted a memorandum seeking Centre's assistance regarding the recent floods which ravaged Telangana state in general and Hyderabad city in particular. It is learnt that the issue of the ongoing farmers' agitation also figured during the talks. It may be mentioned here that the state government had opposed the three farm laws and even organised a state bandh on December 8.

He also submitted a memorandum to Amit Shah asking the Union Minister to come to the rescue of the T state which suffered a big financial crunch in the corona pandemic. Soon after the floods, KCR had written a letter to the Centre seeking Rs 1,350 crore as immediate relief and estimated total damage across the state to the extent of Rs 10,000 crore. The issue of pending release of funds under various centrally-sponsored development programmes to the State also figured in the meeting with Shah.

It is learnt that KCR during his meeting with Amit Shah explained his view point and why he had objected to the farm laws. He is said to have told him about the need for incorporating compulsory minimum support price (MSP) in the farm act.

It now remains to be seen if the Chief Minister will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi or not during his present visit to Delhi. The Prime Minister has not been giving appointments in view of the corona pandemic. The Chief Minister will be in Delhi till Sunday evening. The meeting with the Prime Minister assumes political significance in the backdrop of the ongoing farmers' agitation and the state government's support to farmers. The Chief Minister had criticised the farm laws as black laws and the state government had given a band call on December 8 as a mark of solidarity with the agitating farmers.

Prior to the meeting with Shah, KCR called on Union Minister for Jal Shakthi Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and discussed the release of funds under AIBP (Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme) to Telangana. The meeting with Shekhawat was the first one after the Apex Council meeting presided over by the Union Minister with AP and Telangana Chief Ministers in October this year.