Telangana Floods: All eyes on whether Chote Bhai can convince Bade Bhai

Repeated appeals of the previous BRS government for assistance after the October 2020 floods in Hyderabad and July 2022 Godavari floods to the Centre were ignored.

Hyderabad: With the State government raising requests for an interim relief of Rs.2,000 crore and pegging the initial flood damage at Rs.5,000 crore, all eyes are now on whether Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will succeed in convincing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he calls his ‘Bade Bhai’, to support the State, given the history of how the Centre has ignored the State’s requests during earlier flood situations.

Repeated appeals of the previous BRS government for assistance after the October 2020 floods in Hyderabad and July 2022 Godavari floods to the Centre were ignored. And this is why many are asking on social media whether ‘Bade Bhai’ will listen to his ‘Chote Bhai’

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Revanth Reddy, after reviewing the flood situation at Mahabubabad on Tuesday, said a letter was written to the Prime Minister asking him declare the floods as a national calamity.

“We are also appealing to the Prime Minister to visit the State and assess the flood situation and losses suffered. Immediately, an assistance of Rs.2000 crore should be extended,” he said, adding that while there was the crop loss was spread over 30,000 acres, four persons, including two Khammam natives, had died in Mahabubabad.

About 680 people were provided shelter at rehabilitation centres.

Though both Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had called up Revanth Reddy on Sunday and assured help, there has been no word on any financial assistance. Interestingly, union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy on Tuesday asked the State government to utilise the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for relief works here.

He said the State government had an SDRF of Rs.1045 crore and that it need not wait for Central assistance. In the past, the State saw the Centre extending immediate financial assistance to Gujarat in 2021 but denying any such help to Telangana. was deprived.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders in the State are facing criticism with BJP MPs and MLAs allegedly not being seen anywhere on the field helping the flood-hit, especially in Khammam, Warangal and other affected districts.

BRS leader Y Satish Reddy on X said that the BJP leaders were least bothered about problems being faced by farmers and the people here. “Where are the BJP leaders as people continue to suffer in flood-hit areas of Khammam?” he asked.