The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Rayalaseema leaders to intensify stir

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 19, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Rayalaseema leaders to intensify stir

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, JULY 18. Former minister from Kurnool, E. Ayyappu Reddy, on Sunday urged the Centre to take a firm decision on the issue of a separate Telangana before December this year, saying it was only after that, an action plan could be chalked out by like-minded people to protest against the continued injustice meted out to an arid, drought-prone Rayalaseema region.

He was addressing a meeting of people from various sections, including leaders of different political parties and organisations. He reminded that the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, was going all out to woo investors but said that unless a decision was taken on the Telangana issue, none would come forward.

Industrialist and Kurnool MLA, T.G. Venkatesh, who was present in his capacity as President, United Struggle Forum for Rights of Rayalaseema, said that enough time had gone by. "It is high time for all of us to come together and achieve what is due to us. People in general and farmers in particular were facing acute water shortage," he said.

The Convenor of the meeting and a former Professor of the Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, K.R. Chowdary, welcomed the gathering and recalled how Rayalaseema was reeling under drought year after year and how successive Governments had allegedly failed to provide succour to farmers in the region.

Prof. Chowdary circulated copies of a speech made by Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy in 1985 at a `Rayalaseema Mahasabha'. He pointed out that Dr. Reddy, while regretting that injustice meted out to Rayalaseema region, had urged people to come together and fight for what was rightfully due to the people of the region.

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