Hyderabad: Minister for Roads, Buildings and Cinematography Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said his department was working on a war footing to repair roads damaged by Cyclone Montha and urged immediate relief for farmers hit by the unseasonal rains.
Speaking at a video conference chaired by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday, the minister said heavy rains damaged Roads and Buildings department roads at 334 locations across Telangana, covering a total stretch of 230 km. He said the Engineer-in-Chief, Chief Engineers, and field staff had been put on high alert to carry out emergency repairs and avoid loss of life.
He estimated the cost of temporary repairs at ₹7 crore, while permanent reconstruction would require around ₹225 crore.
Komatireddy raised alarm over extensive crop losses in the erstwhile Nalgonda district, particularly paddy and cotton fields. “Nearly two lakh metric tonnes of paddy are lying in IKP centres,” he said, urging the Chief Minister and Civil Supplies Minister to procure even the rain-soaked paddy and move it to rice mills without delay.
He added that he had personally met Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) Chairman Lalit Kumar Gupta in Mumbai to request a relaxation in moisture content norms during cotton procurement.
“The government must pay special attention to farmers in Nalgonda and extend immediate support,” he said.
Aler MLA and Government Whip Beerla Ilaiah joined the video conference from the minister’s quarters.
