The Telangana Congress Legislature Party leaders on Friday demanded that the State Government convene a special session of Legislative Assembly and Council to discuss the drought situation in the State.

Addressing a press conference at Congress Legislature Party office, along with Deputy CLP leader Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy and Greater Hyderabad Congress president Danam Nagender, Leader of Opposition in Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir accused Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao of taking the drought situation very lightly. Referring to KCR’s visit to New Delhi, he said that the Chief Minister had no time to lead a delegation to the Centre to seek relief for drought-hit farmers, but he was completely free for a social gathering and visited Delhi to attend a marriage function.

He said that the Central Teams, which visited the State recently, have admitted that Telangana was facing one of the worst ever drought. Therefore, he said that the State Government should pressurize the Centre to sanction Rs. 5,000 crore for the affected areas and Rs. 2,514 crore relief sought by the State was insufficient. He said a special session of Assembly and Council should be convened for at least 8-10 days in current month itself to discuss the shortage of drinking and irrigation water and strategy to prevent rise in prices of essential commodities due to drought.

Meanwhile, Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy strongly condemned KCR for not discussing any of the crucial issues concerning Telangana State with the Central leaders during his Delhi tour. He said KCR did not even have the courtesy to wish AICC President Sonia Gandhi on her birthday. He reminded that KCR, along with his entire family, had visited Sonia Gandhi to thank her for passing the Telangana Bill in Parliament.