Congress accuses KTR of mishandling rain havoc

Hyderabad, Aug 31 (INN): The Congress party has held Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister K. Tarakarama Rao responsible for the havoc caused due to heavy rains in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad on Wednesday. The party also expressed deep condolences over loss of seven lives in rain-related incidents.

Accompanied with senior Congress leaders, Leader of Opposition in Telangana Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir visited Bholakpur of Musheerabad on Wednesday evening and offered condolences to Mohammed Nadeem who lost his wife and his two daughters due to collapse of house.

Speaking to media persons later, Shabbir Ali said that a heavy spell of rain has turned many areas in the city into pools. He said that MA&UD Minister has failed to do his job properly. "The water logging, submergence of low-lying areas and collapse of weak structures causing seven deaths clearly exposes the failure of not only GHMC and other authorities, but also KTR," he said. The minister has been making tall claims of turning Hyderabad into a global city. But all his statements have proved to be mere publicity stunts. The citizens of Hyderabad have suffered due to the negligence of GHMC which failed to chalk out and implement 'Monsoon Emergency Plan', he said.

"What happened to KTR's 100 Days Action Plan which he announced immediately after TRS won the GHMC elections in February? There were no Emergency Teams or Special Squads when people cried for help from their submerged houses. The situation would have been different if GHMC would have acted on time. Despite forecast of heavy rainfall, the State Government took no measures to handle a possible crisis," Shabbir Ali said.

Shabbir Ali said that the State Government has miserably failed to handle complaints of water logging, power failure or traffic jams. He alleged that the desiltation of nalas and repair of storm water drains was not done in a proper manner which deteriorated the situation. He said that the government should have shifted the people living in low-lying areas to safer places after it received heavy rainfall warming from the Met Department. He said that the State Government should properly assess the damages and pay adequate compensation.

The Congress leader said that the ex-gratia amount of Rs. 4 Lakh (Rs. 2 lakh from GHMC & Rs. 2 lakh from State Govt) to the families of those killed due to rain-related incidents on Wednesday was not adequate. He demanded that the government increase the ex-gratia amount to Rs. 10 lakh each. He also demanded action against the officials who failed to identify weak buildings in Ramanthapur and Bholakpur area. He said steps should be taken to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future.

Shabbir Ali also appealed to all Congress workers in GHMC limits to help the citizens who were affected due to heavy rains.

Former GHMC Corporators Wajid Hussain and Mohammed Ghouse, GHCC Minorities Department Chairman Shaik Abdullah Sohail, TPCC Spokesperson Syed Nizamuddin and other leaders were also present.