The Hindu : Front Page : Separate Telangana unlikely, says YSR

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 04, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

Separate Telangana unlikely, says YSR

Special Correspondent

Chief Minister's interactive meeting with captains of industry

HAPPY SMILES: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy at the industry meet in Bangalore on Monday as B.V. Naidu, Director of STPI, and Rajendra Khare, CEO of Broadcom, look on. - Photo: K. Gopinathan

BANGALORE: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy on Monday categorically stated that Andhra Pradesh would remain united and the demand for statehood to Telangana region materialising "is not bright". Congress president Sonia Gandhi is seized of the matter.

At an interactive meeting with captains of the industry, organised here by APInvest, the nodal agency of Andhra Pradesh Government for investments, Dr. Reddy said the thinking in the Congress party was that the progress of Telangana had to be put on a fast track and this would happen in the next two to three years, thus paving the way for separatists to give up their demand of statehood. However, he said, in the eventuality of a division, it would not adversely affect Hyderabad. The city grew so much that it had surpassed the phase wherein events elsewhere in the State would affect it.

Making a pitch for increased investments in Andhra Pradesh, Dr. Reddy said that it "is the best destination" and the IT and ITES had grown by 65 per cent last year. As for the semi-conductor and hardware sectors, he said with the Fab City coming up fast, the State and the country should be able to catch up with China in the years to come.

Stating that Andhra Pradesh was better than any other State in the country on many counts, e-governance included, Dr. Reddy said the decision- making process had been quickened. Thanking Infosys for setting up its centre in Andhra Pradesh, he said it would provide employment to about 25,000 persons in the next few years. The focus now was on developing tier-II cities and the State had launched a training programme for students of professional courses to join the sunrise industries immediately after finishing their courses.

On equity participation in the Fab City project, Dr. Reddy said that the Government of India was working out details.

Chief Executive Officer, AP Invest and IT Adviser to Andhra Pradesh Government, C.S. Rao, dispelling the notion that Hyderabad and Bangalore were competing, said: "We are partners in progress and there is enough for us in the larger pie."

Highlighting the strengths of Andhra Pradesh (citing a FICCI survey), he said 70 per cent of the foreign companies had been making profits and 80 per cent of them had expansion plans.

The annual economic growth rate of the State had been the fastest at 7.55 per cent, he said.

Fab City project

The IT and ITES sectors aspired to capture 15 billion USD by 2009, providing direct employment to another three lakhs. The State had a rich talent pool and its infrastructural facilities were improving at a rapid pace.

Chairman of Indian Semiconductor Association Rajendra Khare said the Fab City project was "not a one-off event" and that the semiconductor industry had a promise of creating 200-billion dollar industry in the next 10 years. ISA's vision, he said, was to make India a "product creation hub of the world".

Director of Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), Bangalore and Hyderabad, B.V.Naidu said Andhra Pradesh was driven by a `pro-active' Chief Minister and a team of officials propping industrial development, besides rapid infrastructural growth.

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