Telangana Congress leader Dasoju Sravan has moved the State High Court seeking an enquiry into the way flood relief funds are being distributed in the state and accusing ruling-TRS leaders of taking commissions.
Speaking to on Monday, Sravan said, "It is a fact that people have suffered a lot due to recent floods in Hyderabad. The Congress party had demanded the Telangana government give Rs 50,000 each to the affected families and Rs 5 lakh each for every house destroyed."
Notably, the Telangana government had last month extended Rs 10,000 as immediate relief to each house affected by floods in Hyderabad and further announced Rs 1 lakh assistance for totally damaged houses, and Rs 50,000 for partially damaged ones.
"The Telangana Government has released Rs 550 crores from Cheif Minister Relief Funds while the Central Government has just released Rs 220 crores to the lakhs of people affected due to the recent floods," Sravan said.
He alleged that the ruling-Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leaders are misusing these funds for campaigning in the upcoming Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections.
"Minister K Tarakarama Rao on the first day had distributed Rs 10,000 to the effected family's in the form of cheques. But from the second day itself, the TRS leaders started handing over cash to the people wearing their party scarfs, which are to be distributed by the GHMC officials or the government officials. The TRS party is campaigning for the upcoming GHMC elections with the public money," Sravan said.
"We question on what grounds are funds being transferred into the hands of local TRS leaders? This never happened that the relief fund had been given to the party workers or party leaders for distribution in the form of cash. Even minute payments are done through direct bank transfer or by cheques. The leaders distributing the cash are indulging in commissions. This is a brace white-collared crime happening in the state," he added.
Sravan said that he has filed public interest litigation (PIL) seeking an inquiry into the whole episode and added that the Chief Secretary of Telangana government must give a detailed explanation of how the public fund has gone into the hands of TRS leaders.
"When people in Hyderabad are suffering, another 'drama' has been staged by the state election commission. From November 7 to 13, the ward wise preparation and finalization of the electoral roll is being completed for the upcoming GHMC elections. Immediately after the electoral rolls have been finalized, a notice for the GHMC elections will be issued, after which the rest of the flood relief funds will be distributed by the TRS government. Through this, the TRS party is going to lure the people and mislead them to vote for them in the upcoming GHMC elections. This is definitely not fair conduct of elections," he said.
The Congress leader, in his PIL, also requested the High Court to issue a notice asking the State Election Commission to postpone the process of electoral roll finalization until the flood relief fund is given to every affected family.
( With inputs from ANI )
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