The Hindu : Front Page : Congress for second SRC, says YSR

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Wednesday, Jul 20, 2005

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Front Page

Congress for second SRC, says YSR

Special Correspondent

Chief Minister defends Government amid Volkswagen controversy, calls on Sonia

NEW DELHI: Amid the botched-up controversial investment in Volkswagen automotive plant and a standoff with an electoral ally, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, met the Congress central leadership here on Tuesday.

Dr. Reddy, who arrived on Monday night for the scheduled Wednesday meeting with the TRS chief and Union Minister, K. Chandrasekhara Rao, called on the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, to discuss the latest political situation and `contemporary issues', as the Chief Minister put it.

While he did not elaborate on the nature of discussion at a news conference, Dr. Reddy declared his Government was `transparent' and there was nothing to hide. Citing the alacrity with which the State Government ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the Volkswagen case and judicial probe into the endowments land transfer issue as cases in point, the Chief Minister said all those found guilty would be brought to book.

We are transparent and do not have anything to hide, whether it is the temple land transfer case, the Paritala Ravi murder case or the Volkswagen issue. If we had, why would my Government order investigation?" Dr. Reddy asked. This, he said, compared well rather than the attempt of the previous Telugu Desam Party Government, which had not ordered a probe into any scam.

To clear air

On the expectation from his meeting with the TRS chief, the Chief Minister said: "It is a friendly party and if there are any misconceptions or apprehensions it is necessary to clear the air." As regards separate Telangana, Dr. Reddy said before the Assembly elections last year, both the Congress and TRS were party to a joint declaration that if a need arose, a second States Reorganisation Commission could be set up.

The Congress party was for it. "If one (TRS) is not in agreement, it is a different thing," he said. On the articulation in the Common Minimum Programme, he said, if there was some consensus among all parties on creation of separate Telangana, it was fine for him.

Dr. Reddy met Digvijay Singh, AICC general secretary in charge of party affairs in the State, separately ahead of his scheduled meeting with TRS.

On talks with naxalites, he reiterated they would have to give up weapons. He regretted that TRS leaders/workers were worried about their lives after threats by naxalites to harm them in case they did not quit their official posts.

"Ultimately, in a democracy, no one should yield to threats or blackmail," he said.

During the day Dr. Reddy met the Union Water Resources Minister, Priyaranjan Dasmunsi, and requested the Ministry to expedite Rs.3000- crore World Bank loan for modernisation of Nagarjunasagar dam and clearances pending for some medium and major irrigation projects. In his meeting with the Environment Minister, A. Raja, the Chief Minister thanked him for clearing the Pulichintala project.

Gas price regulator

The State Government asked the Centre to set up a regulator to fix the price of gas being used for generation of power.

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