Telangana CM meets Modi, discusses state's pending issues

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed about pending issues under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, besides 33 per cent reservation for OBCs and women in Parliament and state legislature.

Rao, popularly known as KCR, also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and discussed various issues related to the state.

"The chief minister was with him (Modi) for more than an hour and submitted memorandums on twenty three issues," the Telangana government said in a statement.

In the meeting with the prime minister, Rao discussed about 33 per cent reservation for Other Backward Castes (OBCs) and women in Parliament and state legislature as well as enhancement of reservation for backward caste (BC) category people in employment and education, the statement said.

He also talked about the need to sub-categorise Scheduled Castes (SCs) in Telangana.

This was his first meeting with Modi and Shah since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the second term at the Centre in May.

Sources said during a 40-minute meeting with the home minister, Rao sought funds for modernisation of police and road construction work in Left Wing Extremism-hit areas.

In his meeting with defence minister, he discussed about the exchange of defence land with state government for building a secretariat and widening of highways in cantonment area.

Among key issues raised in the meeting with the prime minister, Rao demanded release of pending Rs 450 crore assistance for backward districts, increasing number of judges in the Telangana High Court from 24 to 42, establishment of institutes like IIM, IISER, IIIT and additional 23 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas in new districts, the statement said.

The Telangana chief minister sought revival of the Cement Corporation of India in Adilabad district with the help of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and financial assistance of Rs 5,000 crore for Mission Kakatiya and Rs 19,205 crore for Mission Bhagiratha drinking water projects as recommended by the NITI Aayog.

Rao also discussed about pending railway and highway projects, setting up of a steel plant at Bayyaram in Khammam district and sought funds for National Investment and Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) in Medak district.