Centre ignores Telangana again, doles out flood assistance to BJP-ruled States

The State government estimated a loss of Rs 1,400 crore due to floods and submitted a report to the Centre on preliminary estimations of flood losses.

Hyderabad: The Centre on Monday approved additional assistance of Rs 1,816.16 crore under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to five States that were affected by floods, landslides and cloudbursts during 2022. However, Telangana’s plea to provide Rs 1,000 crore assistance in the wake of the unprecedented floods in Godavari River during July last year was once again ignored.

A high-level committee chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah took the decision to help the five States. Of the total central assistance of Rs 1,816.162 crore, Rs 520.466 crore has been approved to Assam, Rs 239.31 crore to Himachal Pradesh, Rs 941.04 crore to Karnataka, Rs 47.326 crore to Meghalaya and Rs 68.02 crore to Nagaland. Except for Himachal Pradesh ruled by the Congress, all other States are ruled by the BJP or its allies.

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In July last year, Telangana witnessed incessant rains across the State, especially in the northern and eastern districts. Several villages in low-lying areas were inundated and cut-off from the rest of the State, disrupting power, water and supply of essentials and leading to widespread flooding. Farmers too bore the brunt as their fields were flooded at the beginning of the Vaanakalam (Kharif) season itself.

At least 15 persons died and over 30,000 were relocated to rescue camps. In Bhadradri Kothagudem district, flood waters in Godavari River touched 71 feet against a third-level warning of 53 feet which was unprecedented. The districts of Adilabad, Nirmal, Kumram Bheem Asifabad, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, Mancherial, Mulugu and Peddapalli were also battered by heavy rain.

The State government estimated a loss of Rs 1,400 crore due to floods and submitted a report to the Centre on preliminary estimations of flood losses. It had sought immediate financial assistance of Rs 1,000 crore from the Centre.

During the financial year 2022-23, the Union government released Rs 15,770.40 crore to 25 States in their SDRF and another Rs 502.744 crore to four States from NDRF. Except for annual funds, the Centre did not release any additional funds to Telangana during the last fiscal as well. Further, the BJP government deputed Inter-Ministerial Central teams to all five States, immediately after the calamities, without waiting for the receipt of memorandum from them. But there has been no help to Telangana even after requesting and submitting the flood loss report as mandated.