Chief Minister Requests More Funds for Telangana
Hyderabad: Ahead of the Union Budget presentation, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy met Union ministers in New Delhi on Monday to request additional funds for Telangana.
The meeting focused on several key issues. Revanth Reddy asked for central assistance for the Musi River front development project, strengthening of Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar water bodies, and the release of pending dues for paddy procurement. He also discussed the Jal Jeevan Mission and requested a subsidy for supplying cooking gas at Rs 500.
Revanth Reddy was accompanied by Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy. They met with Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil and requested Rs 10,000 crore for the riverfront project under the National Rivers Conservation Plan. This project is planned on a 55 km stretch and is expected to be the first of its kind in the country.
He also asked for Rs 4,000 crore under the National River Conservation Plan for cleaning the Musi River. Additionally, he requested Rs 6,000 crore for constructing reservoirs to fill Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar water bodies in Hyderabad with Godavari water. This, he said, would address Hyderabad’s drinking water issues and rejuvenate the Musi River.
For the Jal Jeevan Mission, Revanth sought funds to provide tap water to 7.85 lakh houses, which would require Rs 16,100 crore.
During his meeting with Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Revanth asked him to direct oil marketing companies to accept advance payments of the subsidy amount for gas cylinders. If not possible, he requested that the subsidy be delivered to beneficiaries within 48 hours.
Revanth also met with Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Prahlad Joshi. He urged the minister to release pending dues related to paddy procurement and rice supply, totaling Rs 1,468.94 crore from additional levy procurement during the kharif season in 2014-15. He also requested Rs 343.27 crore for 89,987 metric tonnes of rice supplied under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana between May 2021 and March 2022.
The Chief Minister emphasized that these funds are crucial for the state’s development and welfare projects.
