The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : `Sonia dragging Telangana issue'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 13, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

`Sonia dragging Telangana issue'

By Our Staff Reporter

CUDDAPAH, JAN. 12. The former Minister and Telugu Desam leader, R. Rajagopala Reddy, on Wednesday charged the All-India Congress Committee president, Sonia Gandhi, with dragging the separate Telangana issue, without rejecting the Telangana Rashtra Samithi demand.

The Union Minister and TRS president, K. Chandrasekhara Rao, was raking up the demand for separate statehood for Telangana region for his selfish ends though people were not in favour of it, he said at a press conference here. Ms. Sonia Gandhi ought to have rejected outright the separate Telangana demand, he maintained.

Demand rejected earlier

He recalled that the late Chief Minister, M. Chenna Reddy's demand for separate Statehood for Telangana was rightfully rejected in the past and the former Prime Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao, rejected the demand for separate Andhra. Although Fazal Ali Commission had recommended continuation of Combined Madras State, the late Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, approved of the formation of Telugu-speaking State, he said.

Telangana, which had an average rainfall of 1,000 to 1,200 mm, remained backward due to improper utilisation of water, but Rayalaseema, whose average rainfall was 660 mm, was more backward, the former Minister contended. Telangana statehood demand was a political one, he averred.

Referring to the Minister for Endowments, M. Satyanarayana Rao's charge that Telangana was meted out injustice during the Congress rule, he alleged that merely demanding Statehood alleging injustice in jobs was irrational. Hardly five per cent of people got Government jobs and any lapses could be rectified, he said.

River linkage

The TDP leader lauded the efforts of the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, for Krishna-Godavari linkage and execution of the irrigation projects. Although Telangana had no catchment area, water yield or precipitation, it got surplus Godavari water from Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra that flowed into the sea, he pointed out. As river Krishna faced water paucity, diverting 300 tmcft of Godavari water to Krishna would meet the irrigation needs of Rayalaseema region, he said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh