Andhra Pradesh   

Rs. 2,000-crore package sought for Telangana

Special Correspondent

Government move comes ahead of TRS' meeting at Warangal

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy has assured party legislators from Telangana that he will take up with the Centre the approval of a Rs. 2,000-crore special package for development of the region.

At a meeting with MLAs at his camp office here on Sunday, a day ahead of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti public meeting at Warangal, Dr. Reddy, responding to a plea, said he was all for bestowing special attention on the region. He told them that of the Rs. 46,000 crores to be spent for irrigation projects, 40 per cent was earmarked for eight projects in the region.

Sources said Dr. Reddy exuded confidence that the eight projects would be completed soon. He announced that an irrigation expert would be appointed soon to look after construction of the projects.

The Chief Minister said a separate cell, with two non-officials, would be set up in the General Administration Department for effective implementation of GO 610.

GO on the way

A GO would be issued to allot time to discuss irrigation projects for a day during District Development Review Committee (DDRC) meetings. As against a day-long session, review committees would now meet for two days, ensuring the presence of the Major Irrigation Minister.

Twenty-three party MLAs and three MPs — Nandi Yellaiah, D. Vittal Rao and Anjan Kumar Yadav — attended the meeting. Ministers Ponnala Laxmaiah, Md. Ali Shabbir and Md. Fareeduddin were present.

At a press conference later, the Telangana Legislators' Forum leader, V. Purshottam Reddy, Telangana Regional Congress Coordination Committee convenor, G. Chinna Reddy, expressed satisfaction at the two-hour meeting.

The leaders made it clear that creation of a separate Telangana was top on their agenda. "Our first resolution also supports a separate State," Mr. Purshottam Reddy added.

The Chief Minister had positively responded to the request for the special package and appointment of an irrigation expert from the region. Dr. Reddy hosted breakfast for former PCC chiefs and former CLP leaders.

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