Minister Sridhar Babu Urges Centre to Extend financial Aid to Telangana

Hyderabad: Minister for IT and Industries Duddilla Sridhar Babu has urged the BJP-led Central government to repay the debt owed to the people of Telangana by declaring the recent floods in the State as a national disaster.

The Minister on Wednesday visited the flood-affected areas in Nirmal, Adilabad, Mancherial and Peddapalli districts in Telangana.

In a release, the Minister said the State has been severely affected by unprecedented torrential rains, leading to devastating floods across 14 districts. These floods have resulted in the loss of 16 lives, destruction of crops across nearly 15 lakh acres and extensive property damage.

On the occasion, he asked the Union government to immediately declare the Telangana floods as a national disaster and extend generous financial assistance.

"There is an urgent need for the release of ₹2,000 crore immediately and an additional ₹5,500 crore to address the damages. Such heavy rainfall, measuring 30-40 centimeters in just a few hours-akin to a cloudburst-has never been recorded before," Sridhar Babu said.

The Minister has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Telangana and declare the situation as a national disaster, allocating special funds for relief efforts.

He also credited the State government's proactive measures and quick deployment of officials for limiting the number of casualties.

Accusing the BRS leaders of engaging in petty politics instead of giving constructive suggestions to the State government at the time of crisis, Sridhar Babu mocked the BRS for merely making a show in the media while sitting comfortably at home.

The Minister also appealed to the Union government to provide funds to enhance the discharge capacity of major water projects in North Telangana, including the Kadem, Swarna, Vattivagu, Sathnala, NTR Project, and Gaddenna Vagu and Palvai Purushothama Rao projects.