KARIMNAGAR: former legislator V. Jagapathi Rao has expressed concern over poor flood relief operations in district in general and in Karimnagar town in particular and asked the State Government to release Rs.300 crores for restoration of normalcy in the district.

Talking to newsmen here on Friday, he said that the floods had devastated the entire district with the breaching of minor irrigation tanks, roads, house collapses, inundation of crops, etc.

He attributed the breaching of tanks to poor maintenance by the authorities concerned. Out of the 32-km radius of Karimnagar town, the rain had caused extensive damage in 17 km radius in the town, he said.

He suggested the Government to construct a flood-flow canal around the town to ensure that there was no inundation of the town.

He also suggested construction of rainwater drains in all the 20 low-lying areas of the town. He asked the Government to release funds at the earliest and take up restoration works on a time-bound programme.

Mr. Jagapathi Rao, who is also the founder of Telangana legislators forum during the first Telangana movement in the late 60s, said that Telangana people's sufferings had been unending for the last 50 years. He wanted the Government to seek referendum on Telangana issue from the public within two years.

He also said that they would field the Congress party candidate if by-elections were held for the Karimnagar Lom Sabha seat and win with a thumping majority. To a query, he said that they would also go to the people on Telangana statehood issue in the by-election.

He alleged that Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K. Chandrashekhar Rao was using the Telangana sentiment only for his political career.

Rice distributed

Earlier, he had distributed 50 quintals of rice to flood-affected families in Mukarampura, Durgammagadda, Ramnagar, Jyothinagar, Bhagathnagar, Sharmanagar, Rajivnagar, Tirumalanagar, Valmikinagar and Indiranagar localities with the help of local municipal corporators.

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