Congress pitches for special Assembly session on drought

Hyderabad: Senior Congress leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir on Tuesday demanded the Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao to convene a special Assembly session to discuss the drought situation in the State.

Addressing the media, Shabbir strongly condemned the Chief Minister for convening a day-long session of Assembly and Council only to pass the new Municipal Act. "Of 584 mandals, as many as 433 or almost 80 per cent mandals in Telangana State are facing drought situation.

KCR is interested only in a new Municipal Act which could give his party an advantage in the municipal elections," he said.

Shabbir Ali said that the Chief Minister's activity was confined to hold a review meeting on Kaleshwaram project and focus on commissions from contracts.

He slammed the Chief Minister for not a holding a review meeting with officials on the Kharif season. He said the conditions in majority of residential schools were highly deplorable with students do not have basic amenities like drinking water, toilet or safe food.

"I had visited minority residential school in Kamareddy on Sunday and found that students were being forced to live in inhuman conditions," he said.

"Public health is in a state of neglect. Private hospitals are about to stop treatment for poor Aarogyasri patients due to pending dues of over Rs 1,750 crore," he alleged.

Shabbir Ali also demanded that the State Government release a white paper on Telangana's financial situation as debt has increased by almost 159 per cent in the last five years.

When asked for reaction on MIM's present relationship with the TRS government, Shabbir Ali alleged that there was a match fixing between MIM and TRS.

"If MIM is honest and sincere towards people, then why is it not raising the key issues?" he asked.