Telangana to seek Centre’s aid for El Nino-related losses

The Telangana Cabinet decided in principle to seek Central assistance for El Niño-related losses, with a sub-committee to assess damage. It also approved power procurement and renewable projects, two DA instalments for employees and pensioners, and a digital media advertising policy.

Hyderabad: The State government has, in principle, decided to seek assistance from the Central government for losses suffered due to the impact of El Nino. The request will be based on a report to be submitted by the Cabinet sub-committee to the State government.

Apart from agriculture, El Nino conditions resulted in drinking water shortages in some parts of the State. The power sector also witnessed a drastic increase in consumption, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said. Briefing the decisions taken at the 37th State Cabinet meeting held here on Thursday, the Minister said the monsoon had withdrawn from the State and rainfall was 17 per cent below normal. Though the overall deficit was 17 per cent, officials informed the Cabinet that the impact was severe in 235 mandals, he said.

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In view of the gravity of the situation, the Cabinet sub-committee would compile a report on the damage suffered and recommend measures to address the losses. An emergency Cabinet meeting would be held shortly to chalk out an action plan, he said. An all-party meeting would be held before the emergency Cabinet meeting to seek views and suggestions from political parties, intellectuals and experts on El Niño and initiate appropriate measures, he added.

Power consumption has increased significantly due to El Nino conditions. While the State’s usual daily consumption is around 15,000 MW, it reached a record peak demand of 19,892 MW this season. Consequently, the Cabinet resolved to procure sufficient power to meet the demand and ensure uninterrupted supply. It decided to prioritise new renewable energy generation and power procurement, keeping future demand and requirements in mind. Approval was granted for setting up units with a combined generation capacity of approximately 7,800 MW.

The Cabinet deliberated on proposals to establish 3,000 MW of solar power capacity, a 4,000-MW Battery Energy Storage System and 800 MW of wind power capacity. These projects would be executed through a bidding process in accordance with Central government regulations, the Minister explained.
Two DAs for govt employees

The Cabinet also approved the release of two instalments of Dearness Allowance (DA) for government employees and pensioners that have been pending since 2024. The associated arrears will be paid in instalments. The move will entail an annual financial burden of Rs 2,500 crore on the exchequer.

The Cabinet decided to implement a dedicated policy for digital media advertising in Telangana. The State policy will be aligned with the digital advertising policy formulated by the Central government.

On the 22-A controversy, the State government has already issued several GOs and memos. In continuation of these measures, pending applications relating to ULC and other departments, as well as applications concerning HMDA and GHMC-approved layouts placed under the prohibited category, will be discussed at the next Cabinet meeting. All pending applications and the receipt of fresh applications will also be discussed at the next meeting, he added.

Other key decisions

• Expedite work on establishing a world-class integrated fruit market at Koheda in Abdullapurmet mandal with Rs.650 crore.
• Officials were instructed to cancel 10 projects undertaken under the EPC mode as they remained incomplete.
• Sanction a Deputy Commissioner post at the Resident Commissioner’s office of Telangana Bhavan in New Delhi.
• Appoint four additional Group-I officers to work on behalf of the State government in Delhi.