Harish Rao slams Congress govt for neglecting flood victims

BRS leader T Harish Rao accused CM Revanth Reddy and the Congress government of failing flood-hit families in Hyderabad. He alleged negligence in monsoon preparedness, lack of relief measures, and focus on grand projects over basic civic needs, while praising Talasani Srinivas Yadav’s efforts.

Hyderabad: Former Minister and BRS senior leader T Harish Rao on Sunday tore into the Congress government for its utter failure to provide relief to flood-hit families in Hyderabad and across Telangana. He accused Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of abandoning the victims and ignoring basic infrastructure in Hyderabad, while promising world-class amenities in his ambitious Future City.

Along with former Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Harish Rao distributed essential commodities to around 1,500 affected families at a programme in Kasturbanagar, Ramgopalpet division, on Sunday. Both the leaders along with BRS cadre visited the affected families and inquired about their condition.

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Speaking on the occasion, Harish Rao said the government had not even released a rupee in compensation, nor provided basic assistance to those who lost homes, crops and belongings in the recent deluge. He said the Chief Minister who also holds the Municipal Administration portfolio, had failed to clean the city’s drains before monsoon, leading to severe flooding.

“Under former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s leadership, the then Municipal Administration Minister KT Rama Rao, Hyderabad in-charge Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav and officials ensured pre-monsoon drives every year. Today, negligence has cost lives, with seven to eight people washed away in Hyderabad floods alone,” he charged.

The former Minister said essential household items were washed away in several colonies, forcing the poor into distress. “Instead of standing with victims, Revanth Reddy has left slum dwellers to fend for themselves. It is Talasani Srinivas Yadav who is stepping in to provide relief, not the government,” he remarked.

Pointing to pothole-ridden roads and uncleared garbage, Harish Rao stated that the Congress regime is more focused on fancy projects like “Fourth City” than on basic civic needs. He urged that the government at least ensure streetlights worked at night during the ongoing Bathukamma festivities. He reminded that while former Chief Minister Chandrashekhar Rao released special funds to improve Bathukamma ghats, the current Congress government did not release any funds for festivities.

He stated that the Congress government was reluctant to hold local body polls, due to its failures in rural governance, where villages turned into cesspools.

The former Minister also took a swipe at 10 defected MLAs who joined the ruling Congress, posted photographs on social media and yet, claiming to be still in the BRS due to safeguard their MLA post. He said people were awaiting for the right opportunity to teach the Congress a fitting lesson.