Hyderabad: Chief ministers of the twin Telugu states are scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital this week. While Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao will hold talks with the PM on October 4, his Andhra Pradesh counterpart Jagan Mohan Reddy is scheduled to pay a visit to Modi a day later.
“The chief minister (Rao) left for Delhi. He will be meeting the Prime Minister on October 4 at 11am,” a source said. Though the agenda of the meeting has not been disclosed, sources said Rao may press for the early release of pending funds from the Centre and granting of national project status to the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme among other issues.
He may also apprise the PM on his government’s development initiatives, flagship programmes and speedy completion of several irrigation projects. This would be the first meeting between Modi and Rao after the former became PM for the second term. Rao is also likely to pay a visit to other Central ministers and seek funds for the state.
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief, who had mooted the idea of a federal front as an alternative to both the BJP and Congress months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, had skipped a couple of meetings of chief ministers convened by the Centre, including the one to deal with issue of Left wing extremism in the region.
Rao used to share cordial terms with Modi during his first term as PM, but things changed soon after and they started targeting each other ahead of the Assembly elections in Telangana last year.
Reddy, who will meet the PM on Saturday, is likely to invite the latter for the launch of the farmer welfare scheme ‘Rythu Bharosa’. The scheme that was a part of the YSR Congress’ poll manifesto would give Rs 12,500 to every farmer in the state annually.
He would also seek financial assistance from the Centre that had been promised to the state during its bifurcation and discuss the issue power purchase agreements that has created a controversy ever since he became a CM.
During a recent meeting between Rao and Reddy, it was agreed the states’ rivers would be inter-linked and the Srisailam reservoir be filled with the Godavari river’s water. Both the CMs may now urge the Centre to clear their proposals.
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