Telangana pledges fund to help NRIs

SEEKS THEIR HELP AND SUPPORT IN BRINGING A QUALITATIVE CHANGE IN COUNTRY

Telangana government has come out with a new initiative to help Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) from the state caught in distress in any country.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has announced setting up a special cell with a fund of Rs500 million (Dh30 million) to help NRIs in case of any need. The cell will be headed by an IAS officer. A committee comprising the representatives of Telugu NRIs from all the countries will assist the cell.

According to an official press release, the Chief Minister directed the state minister for NRI affairs K Taraka Rama Rao and Nizamabad MP K Kavita to prepare guidelines for both the cell and the committee to enable them to come up with solutions for the problems of NRIs.

Of the budgetary allocation of Rs 1 billion for the NRI welfare, half the amount will be transferred to the proposed cell. “If need be the government was ready to give more funds to the NRI cell and the company”, the Chief Minister said.

The announcement came at the Chief Minister’s meeting with the representatives of NRIs from several countries.

The Chief Minister urged the Telangana NRIs to launch a debate and discussions abroad on the qualitative changes that he is speaking of and making attempts in the national politics. He sought NRIs’ help and support in bringing a qualitative change in the country the way they had supported in achieving Telangana state.

State Ministers KT Rama Rao, Nayani Narasimha Reddy, MP K Kavita, Legislators Errabelli Dayakar Rao, Ganesh Gupta, Srinivas Goud, Prashanth Reddy also attended the meeting.

“When we think of our state as part of the country, we feel happy and contended. We are doing well, when compared to other states. But as a nation we are not doing well. When compared to other countries, we are very backward in our position,” the Chief Minister added.

KCR also expressed his unhappiness over the lack of funds for the development activities in he country.

He blamed both the Congress and the BJP responsible for the state of affairs.