Congress urges PM Modi to declare flood situation in Telangana as national calamity

HYDERABAD: The Congress has urged prime minister Narendra Modi to declare as “national calamity” the present situation caused by heavy rains and floods in Telangana state including Greater Hyderabad.
The core committee meeting of the Congress which was held in Gajwel constituency passed resolutions demanding that the state government increase the amount for flood relief from Rs 500 crore to Rs 5,000 crore.
Telangana Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday said the meeting discussed issues of damage and loss of life, property and agricultural crops and the inadequate response of state and central governments.
Terming the TRS government’s efforts to deal with the flood situation as incompetent and inefficient, the Congress also condemned the negligent attitude of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for not touring the flood affected areas in Hyderabad or crop damage in rural Telangana.
The Congress party demanded an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh to family members of people who died due to heavy rains and floods, Rs 5 lakh for fully damaged houses and Rs 2 lakh for partially damaged houses, and Rs 50,000 each in case of houses flooded with rain water. “The government must immediately take up enumeration of crop damage and announce Rs 20,000 per acre compensation including tenant farmers.
Since the farmers have cultivated a fine variety of paddy on the directions of CM KCR, the government should purchase it at Rs.2500 per quintal. The government should enhance MSP for maize to Rs 1850, Uttam said.