Revanth meets Amit Shah with a wish-list for funds

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy presented a series of demands to Union Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah, which included the immediate release of Rs 11,713 crore in flood relief funds, strengthening security along Telangana’s border with Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected states, the allotment of additional IPS officers, and resolving long-standing bifurcation-related issues with Andhra Pradesh.

An official delegation, led by the Chief Minister, met the Union Home Minister in New Delhi on Monday and outlined the financial challenges the state government is facing, particularly in undertaking repairs to infrastructure damaged by recent heavy rains. The CM reminded the Union Minister that he had written a letter on September 2 requesting the Centre to release Rs 5,438 crore for repair work. A central team had already visited the state, assessed crop and other losses, and submitted a report on September 30. The team estimated a loss of Rs 11,713 crore, which is required for repairs, and the CM urged the Home Minister to release the funds immediately.

Revanth Reddy also informed the Union Minister that the Centre had released Rs 416.80 crore to Telangana under the first and second phases of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for the year 2024-25. He requested Amit Shah not to link these funds, meant for reconstruction and repair work, to the funds used for SDRF-related works in the past.

The Chief Minister also appealed for the reinstatement of Adilabad, Mancherial, and Komaram Bheem Asifabad districts on the list of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Affected Districts. These three districts had previously been removed from the list. The CM emphasized the need to focus more on Telangana’s security, as the state shares borders with the LWE-affected states of Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.

In addition, Revanth Reddy urged Amit Shah to cooperate in resolving the pending bifurcation issues. He pressed for the settlement of disputes over the distribution of government buildings and corporations listed under Schedule 9 (as per Sections 53, 68, and 71 of the Act) and the dispute regarding institutions under Schedule 10 (as per Section 75 of the Act). In light of Andhra Pradesh's claim over properties and institutions not mentioned in the AP Reorganization Act, the CM requested the Home Minister to ensure justice for Telangana.