HYDERABAD: Will the Centre react positively to the state’s request for immediate relief of Rs 2,000 crore for use in rain-battered districts in the state?
There is a debate in political circles over this since the Centre was not very generous to a similar request by the state in the past when floods had ravaged Hyderabad.
The state has now given eight Lok Sabha seats to BJP and two ministers represent Telangana in the Central government. The people expect them to repay their gratitude as crops in lakhs of acres have been damaged, houses affected, and livelihoods robbed due to the heavy rains.
The government has estimated that the loss in monetary terms in Telangana due to rains and floods is about Rs 5,000 crore and is requesting the Centre to release at least Rs 2,000 crore immediately.
The Centre may consider the request since it may look inappropriate if it denies funds to Telangana and turns generous to similarly affected AP because the TDP is part of the NDA. If the Centre favours only AP, it will become a target for attack from both the Congress and BRS. They would also question why the BJP MPs could not influence the Centre and get funds for the state.
The Centre would be doing a favour to party leaders in Telangana if it helps the state generously as the BJP has ambitions of coming to power. The talk in political circles is that Union ministers Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay should take a pro-active role and impress upon the Centre to help the state if the party has to grow to the stage of challenging the Congress leadership in Telangana in the next Assembly polls.