KCR pitches for liberal Central aid

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Monday appealed to the Central team to recommend liberal financial assistance to help restore infrastructure devastated by heavy rains in September. The Central team, which assessed the damage caused by heavy rains in the State, met the Chief Minister at his camp office and discussed the issue with him.

• State already sought Rs 2,740 crore aid from the Centre
• Team apprised of extensive damage to power lines and other infrastructure

KCR urged the Central team led by Dilip Kumar, a Joint Secretary in Union Home Ministry, to impress upon the Centre the need to provide assistance to the State. There was heavy loss of crops and damage to infrastructure. He told the Central team that the State government had already sought Rs 2,740 crore aid from the Centre. Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma, he said, had given a PowerPoint presentation to the Central team on the loss of crops and damage to infrastructure.

The Chief Minister explained to the Central Team that 75,000 lakes had existed during the Kakatiya Dynasty and how they were all ravaged during the period when the State was united. He said his government had embarked upon reviving 46,000 lakes. The Mission Kakatiya had yield good results.

He brought to the notice of the team that there was extensive damage to power lines and other infrastructure. KCR also explained in detail to the Central Team that the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad had borne the brunt of heavy rains. He said the government had already spent Rs 150 crore to restore infrastructure in the twin cities.

Earlier, the team members on Monday visited to Siddipet, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Kamareddy and Sangareddy districts and reviewed the situation with the district Collectors