SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
Hyderabad: The Telangana Legislative Assembly on Friday, September 18, unanimously passed resolutions introduced by Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, urging the Union Government to provide immediate financial aid for relief efforts following severe rainfall deficits in the state.
The Union Government should send a representative team to Telangana at the earliest to assess the El Niño conditions at the field level, the Dy CM said. Adequate assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) must be sanctioned, and the Centre’s share of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) should be released immediately, he said.
Similarly, Bhatti said assistance should be given for crop loss or input subsidy, drinking water, fodder, protection of livestock, restoration of groundwater levels, revival of tanks and other water resources, as well as other relief measures. The government requested that wherever necessary, the relevant guidelines should be relaxed to facilitate such assistance.
In addition to the 125 days of employment provided under the VB-G RAM G scheme, another 50 days of employment should be provided, the Deputy CM said. The entire expenditure incurred under VB-G RAM G should be borne by the Union Government. The existing 60-day seasonal suspension period in the state should be relaxed, he said, adding that the labour budget must be increased to ensure employment security for rural households.
The state government urged the central authorities to allocate sufficient fertilisers to farmers and arrange advance supplies for affected districts. It also called for increased funding under Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) to rapidly expand drip irrigation, financial support under MIDH to boost vegetable cultivation, and subsidised seeds for alternative crops.
Bhatti said Telangana needs an additional 1,500 MW from the central grid, along with 5 million tonnes of coal and sufficient rail wagons to transport it to power plants. The state also needs lower power transmission charges and additional financial support.
The Assembly agreed that the Centre needs to grant a special package of Rs 20,000 crore to cover drinking water, irrigation, and drought relief. Further funding under central schemes should also support restoring local water tanks, protecting resources, and speeding up ongoing irrigation projects.
Raising the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) borrowing limit from 3 per cent to 3.5 per cent of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) for the 2026–27 financial year will allow the state to fund urgent relief efforts. Extra financial support through central schemes, along with relaxed guidelines, is also needed to help vulnerable families and farmers.
SOURCE : SIASAT
