Telangana to Ask Centre for Special Funds as El Niño Threat Looms

On Sunday, Telangana’s Revenue and Housing Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy told reporters that a high‑level team, led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, is headed for New Delhi. Their mission? To sit down with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a few Union Ministers and lay out a plea for a dedicated financial bundle that can cushion the state against the looming wrath of El Niño.

During a brief stop‑over in Kusumanchi – where the minister was handing out Kalyana Lakshmi cheques – he explained that the delegation would formally submit a representation seeking not just cash assistance but also extra workdays under the VB‑G RAM G Scheme. The idea is to give farmers a little breathing room, especially if the monsoon turns erratic.

Reddy sounded a note of caution to the farming community, urging them to think twice before planting a second crop. “The El Niño episode could jeopardise the already‑sown paddy,” he warned, adding that the state is pulling every string to safeguard the first harvest and that farmers should heed official advisories.

Power costs, another thorny issue, were also raised. Electricity that once cost around ₹7‑8 per unit is now fetching roughly ₹15, a hike Reddy blamed on the nation‑wide power crunch. He hinted that this spike could ripple through agricultural operations, making the need for central support even more urgent.

Water scarcity, too, is on the radar. With groundwater levels dropping, officials have been instructed to take pre‑emptive steps to avoid a drinking‑water crunch in the months ahead. In line with that, the minister earlier in the day laid foundation stones for an overhead water tank, new pipelines, and bitumen‑treated roads across the mandal – tangible steps meant to bolster infrastructure before the climate turns sour.

All told, the delegation hopes the Centre will respond with a swift, “adequate” package that not only cushions the agricultural sector but also helps the state manage rising energy bills and looming water shortages.