The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : No reference to Telangana in Governor's address

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 02, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

No reference to Telangana in Governor's address

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JUNE 1. A significant highlight of the Governor's address to the Assembly on Tuesday was the Congress Government's omission of any reference to the demand for separate Telangana, a cause dear to its electoral ally, the TRS.

The BJP leader, G. Kishen Reddy, was quick to point this out while giving his party's reaction to the speech. He alleged that the Congress and the TRS had "cheated'' the people of Telangana by not including it in the Governor's address.

However, the TRS itself appeared unfazed. Its floor leader, G. Vijayarama Rao, held that the "competent authority'' to decide on separate Telangana was Parliament and not the Assembly. He said the Congress-led Government at the Centre had given clear commitment on Telangana and the TRS was not unduly worried about the lack of any mention in the Governor's address.

The Finance Minister, K. Rosaiah, also tried to make light of the controversy. He said the Government saw need to refer to the Telangana issue since the Congress had already committed itself to constituting a second States Reorganisation Commission (SRC). But the common minimum programme of the ruling United Progressive Alliance had gone a step further by asserting that the Telangana issue would be considered at an "appropriate time.''

The only other party to refer to Telangana was the CPI whose floor leader, Chada Venkata Reddy, said the Government should have announced a separate package for the region's development.

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