The Congress-led Telangana State government has made a fervent appeal to the Central government to accord national project status to Palamuru Rangareddy lift irrigation scheme.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy represented the need for making the PRLIS to Union Water Resources Minister Gajendra Singh Shekawat on Thursday. The project would cater to the irrigation needs of 12.3 lakh acres in fluoride-affected and drought-prone districts of Nagarakurnool, Mahabubnagar, Vikarabad, Narayanpet, Rangarededy and Nalgonda districts of the State. The project would also cater to the drinking water needs of the Greater Hyderabad area along with 1,226 villages, Mr. Revanth Reddy and Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy said.
They said the project had received in-principle approval from the Central Water Commission but the permissions relating to interstate issues like hydrology, irrigation planning and cost estimates were pending clearance from the apex body. Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Union Minister responded positively to the State’s request and assured that he would consider allocation of additional funds for the project.
The Union Minister clarified that the Central government had not accorded national project status to any project since 2014 and that the practice had been stopped ever since. Mr. Gajendra Singh Shekawat however assured that the Centre would provide 60 per cent funds required for the project given its importance in alleviating the problems of the people of several districts dependent on it.
The Chief Minister had asked the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to sanction additional all India services officers to the State. Telangana was sanctioned a meagre 76 IPS officers at the time of bifurcation, but the State needed at least 29 more IPS officers in view of the reorganisation of districts and for deputing officers to supervise the proceedings in some areas.
Mr. Amit Shah is said to have responded positively assuring that the Centre would allocate more officers to Telangana from the IPS batch passing out in 2024.
The Chief Minister earlier met Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and held discussions relating to the second phase of metro rail and Musi river front development. He requested the Centre to accept the revised proposals for the second phase. Mr. Revanth Reddy explained that there was need to revise the estimates submitted by the previous government and wanted the Centre to consider taking up the project jointly with the State.
He briefed Mr. Puri about the State government’s resolve to develop the Musi river front project as an employment generation zone. The project would need the support of the Central government, he said requesting the Centre to extend its support and cooperation in completing the project. The Chief Minister said the government was providing houses to the homeless under the Indiramma Houses scheme and sought the Centre’s support for the same under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
Mr. Revanth Reddy sought the release of an additional ₹ 88 crore from the Centre for strengthening Anti Narcotics Bureau and and another ₹90 crore for cyber security bureau by the Union Home Ministry.
