There was indignation in Telangana as despite facing floods, the central government did not provide support to the Telangana government.
The Central government on Tuesday informed the Lok Sabha that no funds were released for flood relief in Telangana since 2018.
It was distressing to citizens that Telangana has not received any funds for flood relief from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) which is from the Center despite facing heavy floods in Hyderabad in 2020 now in 2023, 16 people are reported dead with heavy rains lashing down on Telanga, immersing large portions of Telangana under water.
A senior official told PTI that 16 people lost their lives in rain-related incidents as per the reports received till Saturday afternoon. Waterlogging continued in parts of Warangal despite rainfall subsiding since Friday. The state government has set up relief camps and ramped up rescue and rehabilitation work in rain-affected areas.
While the central government did not provide support to the Telangana government, Gujarat was granted Rs. 1000 crore for immediate relief activities after cyclones hit the state last year highlighting a sense of injustice to the people.
Even though a central team assessed the damage caused by the 2020 floods in Hyderabad, no funds were released from the NDRF, despite appeals from Telangana’s Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and Minister of Municipal Administration and Urban Development K. T. Rama Rao.
While Telangana received no funds from the NDRF since 2018, neighboring states such as Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka were allocated Rs. 6480.69 crores and Rs. 2584.25 crores, respectively, in the past four years.
The National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) is a central government-managed fund used to provide relief to those affected by natural calamities such as earthquakes, cyclones, droughts, fires, tsunamis, floods, landslides, hailstorms, avalanches, pest attacks, and cloud bursts of severe nature. The fund is released to state governments when their State Disaster Response Funds (SDRF) are insufficient to address the calamities.
On Friday, the Union Minister for Tourism and Culture, G Kishan Reddy, responded firmly to the criticism from TRS leaders, specifically targeting K T Rama Rao, the party’s working president and state industries minister. The criticism was regarding the alleged absence of financial aid from the Centre under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for Telangana since 2018.
Nayini Anurag Reddy from Telangana tweeted, @NAR_Handle
‘Floods of Injustice: Unequal Treatment in Natural Disaster Relief’ 🚨
Floods in #Gujarat: PM Modi conducts an aerial survey and promptly extends ₹1000 Cr under #NDRF
Floods in #Telangana: Central teams only visit & assess the damage with the total release standing at ‘ZERO’
While your affection for Gujarat leads to an aerial survey & releasing ₹1000 Cr, your support for Telangana stops at sending some random teams & not providing any sanction!
Telangana is a proud contributor to the nation’s growth, so why should we tolerate this discrimination?
‘Floods of Injustice: Unequal Treatment in Natural Disaster Relief’ 🚨
Floods in #Gujarat: PM Modi conducts an aerial survey and promptly extends ₹1000 Cr under #NDRF
Floods in #Telangana: Central teams only visit & assess the damage with the total release standing at 'ZERO’… pic.twitter.com/pqkmuBbTSC
— Nayini Anurag Reddy (@NAR_Handle) July 31, 2023
It is alleged the Prime Minister Gives Special Treatment for Gujarat
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and inaugurated development projects worth around ₹4400 crore in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Under his leadership, the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investor Summit was launched to promote investments in the state and attract businesses from across the world. Several infrastructure projects were initiated and completed during his tenure, including the development of roads, highways, and ports to enhance connectivity and trade in Gujarat.
After becoming Prime Minister, Modi’s government launched the Smart Cities Mission, under which some cities in Gujarat were selected for comprehensive development. All this is viewed as favoritism for Gujarat over other states in India and is irking many.