Telangana CM Revanth Reddy has appealed to MPs from all parties to unite for the development of the state. He held a meeting with MPs before the Parliament session and stressed on getting approval for projects like irrigation, metro and RRR pending at the Centre.
Hyderabad (Telangana) [भारत]July 14 (ANI): Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has appealed to all Telangana MPs, cutting across party lines, to work with the larger interests of the state as their primary objective. The Chief Minister urged the MPs to focus on securing necessary approvals from the Central Government, especially for the pending irrigation projects and other infrastructure development projects.
Ahead of the Parliament session, the state government on Monday organized a PowerPoint presentation for MPs at the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Praja Bhawan about the state issues pending with the Centre. The CM said that while the six major cities of the country account for 10 percent of the country’s population, these cities are contributing 25 percent to the GDP.
Focus on approval from the center
The MPs were requested to meet Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and get approval for an IIM for Hyderabad. CM Revanth Reddy informed the MPs about the status of discussions with the Central Government regarding the acquisition of Hyderabad Metro Phase-I and expansion of Metro Phase-II. The Chief Minister urged the MPs to ensure that the process moves forward expeditiously. The CM appealed to BJP MPs Eatala Rajendra and Konda Vishweshwar Reddy to pay special attention to the matter.
The CM told MPs that 95 per cent of land acquisition for the northern portion of the Regional Ring Road (RRR) has already been completed and Union Cabinet approval is required to start work and proceed with land acquisition for the southern portion.
On the Musi River Rejuvenation Project, the Chief Minister said the first phase has reached the tender stage and the Center needs to issue an approval letter to include these works under the Urban Challenge Fund. The MPs have been requested to meet Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to make a formal request in this regard.
inter-state river water disputes
The Chief Minister also informed the MPs about the recent discussions held in Karnataka, which were chaired by Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil and which also included the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The discussion was regarding inter-state river water issues. Although Telangana has the right to receive 15.09 TMC of water from the Tungabhadra Project, the flow does not exceed 5 TMC due to silt accumulation. C.R. Patil was requested to persuade Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka to cooperate in desilting of dams and canals. The CM appealed to the MPs to bring the issue to the attention of the Union Minister.
The Chief Minister informed the MPs that the Center has taken up the responsibility to negotiate with Chhattisgarh on the diversion of water from the Godavari river to the Nagarjuna Sagar project. The CM said that Chhattisgarh has an allotted share of 300 TMC from Godavari but it is not using it. Even if the state utilizes 160 TMC in future, there will still be a surplus of 143 TMC, providing a potential opportunity for Telangana to achieve 43 TMC.
CM Revanth Reddy also mentioned the Godavari-Kaveri River Interlinking Project, which aims to transport water from the Godavari to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala via Andhra Pradesh. The Chief Minister emphasized that while the water rights belong to Chhattisgarh and the funding lies with the Centre, the objective is to secure a favorable outcome for Telangana with respect to both aspects.
Infrastructure and connectivity
The Chief Minister highlighted that the alignment for bullet trains connecting Shamshabad airport to Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai has been finalized. Land acquisition required for Adilabad Defense Airport and Warangal Airport has been completed. The CM requested the MPs to focus on the proposal to set up MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facilities and air cargo services at these airports.
Coordination and feedback for MPs
Asserting that Telangana is cooperating with the Central government with the primary goal of serving the interests of the state, CM Revanth Reddy told the MPs that IAS officer Advait Kumar Singh has been deputed to the Telangana Bhavan in Delhi to coordinate and provide necessary information to all the MPs. MPs can get any information regarding pending issues from them.
The Chief Minister directed officials to immediately provide any information sought by the MPs, irrespective of their political affiliation. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka directed officials to provide all the information sought by the MPs during the meeting. The state was moving forward with a cooperative approach towards the central government in line with the spirit of federalism. Bhatti directed officials to prepare a letter detailing the current status of various state-related issues mentioned earlier to the Center and make it available to MPs during Parliament sessions.
MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy requested that such meetings should be held well in advance to facilitate raising questions during the Parliament session. MP Eatala Rajendra pointed out the lack of adequate milling capacity for paddy produced in the state and also highlighted storage issues. Rajendra suggested that special attention should be given to this matter and also advised that proper care be taken with regard to protocol. MP Ramashayam Raghurami Reddy said that since MPs serve on various standing and advisory committees, providing information on pending issues related to those committees would enable them to discuss these matters effectively. (ANI)
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