The Core Committee meeting of the Telangana Congress that met at Pragnapur has demanded that the State government increase the amount for flood relief from ₹500 crore to ₹5,000 crore and also condemned Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for not visiting the flood-affected areas in the city or the extensive crop damage areas in rural areas.
“A number of issues such as huge misery and loss of life, property and agricultural crops and the inadequate response of state and central governments were discussed. The Core Committee unanimously passed resolutions on various issues," Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said. The meeting was attended by AICC Incharge Manickam Tagore, CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and other senior leaders.
The meeting also decided to write to the Prime Minister that the present situation in Telangana be declared as a national calamity, a statement said.
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Mr. Reddy demanded that the amount sanctioned by the State government for flood relief be increased from ₹500 crore to ₹5000 crore; ex gratia of ₹25 lakh be given to each person who has died and ₹5 lakh for the houses damaged fully apart from ₹2 lakh to partially damaged houses.
Mr. Reddy said the government must immediately take up enumeration of crop damage due to rains. "For all farmers where extensive crop damage has occurred, an amount of ₹20,000 per acre be given immediately. Damaged cotton, paddy and maize be purchased with relaxed conditions and higher moisture content be accepted.
The party leaders argued in the meeting that the Chief Minister had directed the farmers to cultivate finer varieties of paddy and since the farmers are yielding 30% lesser and losing Rs.10,000 per acre the government should purchase paddy at Rs. 2,500 per quintal.
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The Congress party also condemned the negligent approach of the TRS government and blamed it to the collapse of the Kalwakurthy lift irrigation scheme in Mahabubnagar district. This has led to a loss of thousands of crores to the public exchequer and loss of irrigation water to 3.2 lakh acres of parched lands in Mahabubnagar district.
It was decided to constitute a TPCC Sub-Committee to look at all aspects of Kalwakurthy lift irrigation scheme and recommend future course of action.