KCR likely to meet Modi by August-end

Hyderabad: Telangana ministers and MPs make a beeline to New Delhi to apprise the Union government on the pending issues of the state and seek funds under the Centrally sponsored schemes.

It may be mentioned here that after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed the office for the second term, Chief Minister K Chadrashekar Rao did not make even a single courtesy call on the PM so far nor did he seek Centre's help in addressing the issues pertaining to the state, including national project status to the Kaleshwaram project, grants for Mission Kakatiya and Mission Bhagiratha. The TRS however had recently supported the Bill to scrap Article 370 and abstained from voting in regard to the triple talaq Bill. As the rift widened between KCR and the Centre due to political reasons, sources said KCR had instructed the ministers to meet their counterparts in the Union Cabinet and submit memoranda for the clearance of all pending issues. The party MPs were also instructed to meet the Union ministers and seek their help in addressing the pending issues.

Sources said the Chief Minister may go to Delhi by the end of August to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other ministers.

State Health Minister Eatala Rajender met Union Health Minister Harshvardhan and appealed for funds to set up of super speciality blocks at Niloufer Hospital and medical colleges in Khammam and Karimnagar districts and upgradation of hospitals in the newly-formed districts.

On behalf of the state government, Rajender also requested the Centre to open additional dialysis centres, trauma centres on the national highways and speed up AIIMS and science research centre in Telangana.

Panchayat Raj Minister Y Dayakar Rao, Forest Minister A Indrakaran Reddy and Education Minister G Jagadish Reddy met the Union ministers concerned and urged them for the release of funds and completion of the works taken up under Centrally-sponsored schemes. Including the establishment of Navoyada schools and road development works. Medak MP K Prabhakar Reddy, Rajya Sabha MP B Lingaiah Yadav, Chevella MP G Ranjit Reddy, Mahbubnagar MP M Srinivas Reddy also met Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari, Textiles Minister Smrithi Irani, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Minister Giriraj Singh and submitted memoranda.

Top Telangana officials, including Chief Secretary SK Joshi, Finance Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao, Forest and Energy Secretary Ajay Mishra, Agriculture Secretary C Parthasarathi and Panchayat Raj Secretary Vikas Raj, were entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating with the Centre.