CM Revanth Reddy appeals to MPs to work hard for achieving state's broader interests
Hyderabad, July 14
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy appealed to all Telangana MPs, cutting across party lines, to work with the broader interests of the state as their primary objective.
The Chief Minister urged the MPs to focus specifically on securing necessary approvals from the Central Government for pending irrigation projects and other infrastructure development projects.
Ahead of the Parliament session, the State government organised a PowerPoint presentation regarding the state issues pending with the Centre, attended by MPs at Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Praja Bhavan on Monday.
The CM noted that while six major cities account for 10 per cent of the country's population, the cities were contributing 25 per cent to the GDP. The MPs were requested to meet Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and get the sanction of an IIM for Hyderabad.
CM Revanth Reddy briefed the MPs on the status of discussions with the Central Government regarding the takeover of Hyderabad Metro Phase-I and the expansion of Metro Phase-II. The Chief Minister urged the MPs to ensure the process moves forward swiftly. The CM appealed to BJP MPs Etela Rajender and Konda Vishweshwar Reddy to pay special attention to this matter.
The CM briefed the MPs that 95 per cent of land acquisition for the northern section of the Regional Ring Road (RRR) was already completed and the Union Cabinet approval is required to commence work and also to proceed with land acquisition for the southern section.
On the Musi River rejuvenation project, the Chief Minister stated that the first phase has reached the tendering stage and the centre 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 regarding this.
The Chief Minister also briefed the MPs about the discussions held recently in Karnataka--chaired by Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil and involving the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka--regarding inter-state river water issues. Although Telangana is entitled to receive 15.09 TMC of water from the Tungabhadra project, siltation restricted the inflow to not more than 5 TMC. A request had been made to C.R. Patil to persuade Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka to cooperate in desilting the dam and canals. The CM appealed to MPs to bring the issue to the attention of the union minister.
The Chief Minister informed the MPs that the centre has taken the responsibility of holding talks with Chhattisgarh on the diversion of water from the river Godavari to e Nagarjuna Sagar project. The CM pointed out that Chhattisgarh has an allocated share of 300 TMC from Godavari but is not utilising it. Even if the state were to use 160 TMC in the future, a surplus of 143 TMC would remain, offering a potential opportunity for Telangana to secure 43 TMC.
CM Revanth Reddy also mentioned the Godavari-Cauvery river interlinking project, which aims to lift water from the Godavari--via Andhra Pradesh--to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala. The Chief Minister emphasised that while the water rights belong to Chhattisgarh and the funding rests with the Centre, the objective is to secure a favourable outcome for Telangana regarding both aspects.
The Chief Minister highlighted that the alignments for bullet trains connecting Shamshabad Airport to Bengaluru, Chennai, and Mumbai have been finalised. Necessary land acquisition for the Adilabad defence airport and the Warangal airport has been completed. The CM requested the MPs to focus on the proposal to establish MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) facilities and air cargo services at these airports.
Stating that Telangana was cooperating with the central government with the primary goal of serving the state's interests, CM Revanth Reddy told the MPs that IAS officer Advait Kumar Singh has been appointed at Telangana Bhavan in Delhi to coordinate and provide necessary information to all MPs. The MPs could obtain any information regarding pending issues from him. The Chief Minister directed officials to promptly provide any information requested by MPs, regardless of their political affiliation.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka directed officials to provide all information requested by the MPs during the meeting. The state was proceeding with a cooperative approach towards the Central Government, in line with the spirit of federalism. Bhatti instructed officials to prepare letters detailing the current status of various state-related issues previously communicated to the Centre and to make these available to the MPs during the Parliament sessions.
MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy requested that such meetings be organised well in advance to facilitate raising questions during the Parliament session.
MP Etela Rajender pointed out the lack of adequate milling capacity for Paddy produced in the state and also highlighted storage issues. Rajendar suggested that special attention be paid to this matter and also advised that due care be taken regarding protocol.
MP Ramasahayam Raghurami Reddy noted that since MPs serve on various standing and consultative committees, providing information on pending issues related to those committees would enable them to discuss these matters effectively.
— ANI
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