KCR to meet PM tomorrow

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday and will apprise him of the pending issues pertaining to Telangana and would once again urge him to see that the Kaleshwaram project was accorded national project status.

KCR is likely to explain to the PM about the proposal of linking of Krishna and Godavari rivers and will brief him on the discussions he had with his Andhra Pradesh counterpart Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on this issue.

This is KCR's first meeting with the PM after the former had assumed office of the Chief Minister for the second term almost nine months ago. It may be mentioned here that the BJP and TRS have been at loggerheads politically since Lok Sabha elections.

Though the officials claimed that the meeting with Modi is only a courtesy call, sources said that KCR will present a charter of demands before the PM. The issue of release of long-pending funds under the Backward Region Grant Fund will also be brought to the notice of the Prime Minister. The Centre is yet to release nearly Rs 500 crore under this scheme to Telangana.

The CM will also discuss the unfulfilled promises made by the Centre in the AP Reorganisation Act, including the setting up of Bayyaram steel plant, tribal and horticulture universities, etc.

Sources said that KCR is likely to meet Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and submit a memorandum seeking additional funds under various centrally-sponsored schemes in view of increased financial requirement in the state.

The CM is also planning to meet Union Minister for Road Transport and National Highways Nitin Gadkari and make a strong plea to complete all the sanctioned national highway schemes in the state at the earliest.