Kishan Reddy takes a dig at TRS

Hyderabad: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy said that the governments regularising houses by collecting taxes should also have the responsibility to protect the houses of citizens from inundation and floods. The Union Minister toured several flood-affected areas in the GHMC on Friday.

Early in the morning, Kishan Reddy met the Central team arrived in Hyderabad for assessing the damage caused during the recent torrential rains. He asked the officials to prepare the assessment report at the earliest. However, he clarified that the Centre has not received a comprehensive report on the damage caused by the floods. However, as a measure of immediate assistance, the State government can utilise the State Disaster Relief Fund.

The Union Minister asked to ensure that the temporary financial assistance reaches the needy. He said it was the time to rise above the politics and come together to provide the much-needed relief to the families that lost everything to floods. He asked to utilise the services of the young people in the slum areas to reach out to the affected people. The Secunderabad MP visited Balkampet, Basheer Bagh and performed puja at a temple in Amberpet. He asked the officials to immediately address the problems faced by people while touring in Nagayya Kunta in the Musheerabad Assembly segment. Kishan Reddy also visited the Ayyappa Colony in LB Nagar Assembly segment and took stock of the houses still inundated in floodwaters. He asked the officials to expedite disbursal of temporary financial assistance and essential commodities to the people.

Later, he visited the nalas in Sankeswar Nagar under Malakpet Assembly constituency and interacted with the flood victims. Kishan Reddy reasoned that human error was the reason for the flooding problem that damaged the brand name of Hyderabad. Failing to ensure proper stormwater system, maintenance of tanks and desilting of drains have resulted in the flooding problem, he said.

Kishan Reddy said it was illegal to continue open drainage system, and emptying drains into tanks should not be encouraged. The Union Minister said that he asked senior officials of GHMC, irrigation department and the water board to constitute a high-level committee and prepare a comprehensive action plan to find a permanent solution to the flooding problem in the city. Kishan Reddy said that he would take up the issue with the State Chief Secretary and other senior officials concerned. He stressed that there was a need to make collective efforts to ensure that the brand image of Hyderabad was not damaged.