BRS working president KT Rama Rao came down heavily on the Revanth Reddy government for its negligence in handling the flood situation caused by heavy rains across Telangana. Demanding Rs 25 lakh compensation for families of those who lost their lives and Rs 25,000 per acre for crop losses, he also sought Indiramma houses for those rendered homeless.
Rama Rao, who toured the inundated areas of Rajanna Sircilla district on Thursday, interacted with the affected people and assured them of all possible help. He asked the party cadre to remain accessible to the needy and provide them with essentials including food, water, medicines and clothes.
Speaking to the media, he criticised the Congress government for failing to evacuate people in low-lying areas despite advance warnings of one lakh cusecs of flood inflow into the Manair river. He said Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was holding meetings on Musi river beautification and sporting events instead of focusing on disaster management, even as people were struggling in flood waters without basic amenities.
Pointing to what he termed the government’s callousness in relief operations, the BRS working president said helicopters were deployed for the Congress electioneering in Bihar, forcing the Navy to step in and rescue stranded villagers in Narmala. He recalled that under former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, precautionary measures were taken and helicopters deployed during similar disasters in Mancherial and Bhupalpally, saving lives.
“This government failed to learn from its past mistakes. Instead of focusing on monsoon preparedness and keeping helicopters ready to rescue those stranded, the Congress deployed them for electioneering in Bihar,” he said, expressing concern over the government’s failure to respond to severe flooding in Rajanna Sircilla, Medak and Kamareddy districts.
While castigating the Congress, Rama Rao appreciated district officials and the media for working round-the-clock to prevent further tragedy.
“Leaders may be asleep, but officers and journalists were awake, alerting people and saving lives,” he said, urging both the State and Centre to act on the India Meteorological Department’s warnings of heavy rains for the next four days.
Though the BRS working president was scheduled to visit flood-affected areas in neighbouring Kamareddy district, he was forced to turn back as the Paloncha stream overflowed and cut off connectivity on the national highway in Machareddy mandal. He also inspected flood levels of the Upper Manair, which was in full spate at Mallareddypet bridge in Gambhiraopet mandal of Rajanna Sircilla district.
He said party cadres were distributing food, drinking water and planning to set up medical camps in flood-hit villages. “Our activists are in the field, shoulder to shoulder with the people. The government must wake up at least now and ensure relief on a war footing,” he said.
