T Cong MPs hopeful of T

A day after Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi proised an exclusive meeting on Telangana, Ponnam Prabhakar expressed the confidence that the Telangana Congress MPs will be able to convince Congress Presidetn Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on the need for a decision ahead of polls.

With Rahul Gandhi promising a separate meeting, Ponnam Prabhakar said that a new programme will soon be taken up for achieving the goal of separate Telangana. This is a problem hanging fire since 1956 and Rahul Gandhi should come forward and ensure that it is resolved at once, he said. At the meeting with Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, Ponnam Prabhakar said besides himself, V Hanumanth Rao, Manda Jagannatham, S Rajaiah, Palavai Goverdhan Reddy and G Vivek had all in one voice pleaded with Rahul Gandhi for an early decision on Telangana.

During the vote in Parliament on FDI, the Congress agreed for an all-party meeting. In that meeting, there was near political consensus on Telangana. Now the Centre should not drag its feet any longer and must take an early decision on Telangana, he said. Ponnam Prabhakar also urged the Centre for an early decision on gas allocation for Andhra Pradesh, in view of the serious power crisis in the State. Given the high power scarcity in the State, the Centre should not any longer delay the decision on gas allocation.

Ponnam Prabhakar also thanked Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the Cabinet clearance to the Ramagundem fertilizer factory, which was the desire of the people of Karimnagar.

Venkat Parsa