By: B. Chandrashekhar
The Centre has assured to help Telangana in mobilisation of funds through international funding agencies for one of its flagship programmes of Water Grid aimed at providing protected drinking water to all households across the State in the next three years.
Giving the assurance to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Union Minister for Rural Development, Panchayat Raj, Drinking Water and Sanitation Chaudhary Birender Singh in Delhi on Monday the latter complimented the State Government for taking up such an important project.
Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao explained to the Union Minister that the Water Grid project would require Rs.42,000 crore funds with Rs.29,000 crore for rural areas and Rs.13,000 crore for urban areas. Mr. Singh said after the meeting that the Centre would help Telangana in every possible manner to complete such a useful project including help in mobilisation of funds from international funding agencies such as World Bank.
The Chief Minister also discussed about Central assistance for BRGF, MGNREGS, rural sanitation and PMGSY with Mr. Singh. Assuring that Telangana would get fair allocations in the coming budget, Mr. Singh said the Centre had already released entire allocation of Rs.90 crore to Telangana under PMGSY this year. However, Mr. Rao requested him to increase it to Rs.300 crore.
Mr. Rao requested the Union Minister not to downsize the MGNREGS as it was benefiting wage-seekers in 433 mandals across Telangana.
Later in his meeting with Union Minister for Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation M. Venkaiah Naidu, Mr. Rao discussed about smart cities, drinking water, urban transporation, Swachh Bharat and 2BHK housing plan of the State Government. The Minister had sought detailed proposals on the requests.
Mr. Naidu said he had already agreed in-principle for Centre’s participation in the State Government’s 2 BHK housing scheme and the ministry would give an in-depth look into the presentation made by Mr. Rao on the development of Hyderabad.
Source: The Hindu