BC reservation to new airports: Revanth government reaches out to BJP MPs; seeks support in Parliament

Hyderabad: Leaving aside political and ideological differences, the Congress-led government reached out to BJP MPs to chalk out a unified strategy to raise pressing issues in the forthcoming winter session of Parliament.

Of the eight BJP MPs, only two attended the meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka.

The crux of the meeting was to have all the MPs of Telangana on the same page and raise the issue of funds, which are required for 47 projects.

The key 10 issues highlighted are:

42 percent BC reservation bill

Regional Ring Road

Greenfield and metro corridors

Expressway from Machilipatnam (Bandar) Port to Hyderabad

Approvals for new airports at Adilabad, Palwancha (Bhadradi and Basantnagar Peddapalli)

New railway line projects: Vikarabad-Krishna, Kalwakurthy-Macherla, Gadwal-Dornakal (survey requested), Kachiguda-Jaggayyapeta, Patancheru-Adilabad (DPR status sought), Bodhan-Latur Road, Akkanapet Bypass, and Pandurangapuram-Bhadrachalam Road.

Hyderabad Metro Rail projects, phase 2 A and 2 B.

Musi River Front Project: Transfer of 98.20 acres of defense land (Bapu Ghat) for the project and a request for a 60% grant of the estimated cost.

Financial aid for the Hyderabad Sewage project, Warangal underground drainage system, and aid for diverting 5 TMC water from Mallannasagar to Musi and 15 TMC of drinking water to Hyderabad.

Sanction of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas for 16 districts, 9 Kendriya Vidyalayas, and an IIM for Hyderabad.

Deputy CM Vikramarka emphasized that the meeting was convened keeping the larger interests of Telangana in mind, rising above political differences. He conveyed Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's advice for all MPs, irrespective of party affiliation, to form a united team to make representations to the Prime Minister and Union Ministers on issues beneficial to the state.

BJP MP’s

BJP MPs Raghunandan Rao and Godam Nagesh attended the meeting. The Congress MPs who attended the meeting were Mallu Ravi, Balaram Nayak, Suresh Shetkar, Chamala Kiran, Ramasahayam Raghu Ram Reddy, Kadiyam Kavya, Gaddam Vamsi, and Anil Kumar Yadav.

Winter session

The MPs are to raise this issue in the winter session of Parliament. They are also to meet the 12 union ministers who are looking into all these pending requests from Telangana state.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has asked all political parties to work unitedly for the benefit of the state and procure these funds from the center, said Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti.