Another agitation for Hyderabad within Telangana state?

It might have taken 50-60 years for a division between Telugu people in AP. By looking at the regional disparities between two regions of Telangana, it won’t take longer time after a brief honeymoon period. The entire Telangana agitations since 12 years are mainly targeted at achieving control over Hyderabad as it was lifeline for all districts. But they have not focused on real burning issues faced by different districts of entire Telangana. For example, no single industry has been set up in North Telangana due to TRS presence. All businessmen including north Indian and Andhrites have invested only on the outskirts of Hyderabad for safety. Also, this is evident from recent reports submitted by Telangana people and politicians and groups that their focus and agenda is only for control on Hyderabad and revenue, not on overall development of all districts, issues, social ills and improving the living standards of Telugu people living across the state. Moreover, all this fight and rat race is for Hyderabad only, but real fact is Hyderabad is part and parcel of South Telangana (Mahbubnagar, Nalgonda, Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Khammam) only. Except for the fact that some part of Medak has border with Hyderabad geographically and historically.

Surprisingly, Telangana agitations have happened under political leadership North Telangana (Adilabad, Nizamabad, Medak, Karimnagar and Warangal). The participation of South Telangana people in agitations for Telangana is very minimal and sometimes even forcible, the main reason is proximity to Hyderabad would have spill-over effects on development, real estate prices across these districts, jobs, employment and opportunities have clogged them for doing so. Moreover, they are development oriented. Thus, TRS doesn’t have any kind of political base or institutional base, MLAs, MPs and Corporators or any kind of political representatives in the South Telangana, except KCR who is present MP from Mahbubnagar, but of no use to the public.

While comparing different tales of Telangana, South Telangana owns entire Hyderabad Metropolis (HMDA) region, IT/pharma companies, industrialisation Iron ore, limestone, Coal, Uranium, reservoirs, dams and canal irrigation system through gravity flow with no cost, borders with Seemandra, relatively good relations with neighbouring districts of Andhra, borders with Andhra and Karnataka, almost 60-70 lakhs of Andhra people in South Telangana including Hyderabad, good number of entrepreneurs, 40 PSUs, 100 Central Government funded institutes, prestigious private institutes and all kinds of industries will definitely pave way for revenue generation in terms of taxes and revenue receipts (85% of total Telangana revenue).

On the other hand, North Telangana is heavily burdened with pending lift irrigation projects, irrigation projects, lack of power generation for Lift irrigation Schemes, Rs 1 lakh crore LIS projects pending, majority irrigation is under bore well. Significant Maoist presence further hinder industrialisation, being hinterland industrialisation chances are minimal, Education Institutes except NITW, coal reserves in Godavari valley with very high cost of production which is double that of Coal India production and highest ash content. All these factors lead to very less income contribution (mere 15% total Telangana revenue) as there are no major income sources except agriculture. But with huge current bills and expensive, thereby North Telangana is huge cost center and burden for entire South Telangana and Hyderabad, but politically strong due to TRS presence in North Telangana through two upper castes. These political groups led by TRS will try to dominate entire politics in Telangana and Hyderabad by keeping CM post under their hold, if South people won’t open their eyes at this juncture.

The Telangana reconstruction as declared by TRS or any other leaders definitely means diverting Hyderabad revenue and resources, development and jobs to their districts of North Telangana (Adilabad, Nizamabad, Medak, Karimnagar and Warangal)and showing the empty hand to South Telangana, in the name of equal development and social justice. Consequently, the powerful industrialist and contractors backed TRS will get all these irrigation contracts and projects with escalating project costs as per their wish similar to Jalayagnam scams. Moreover, many of the business families, schools, colleges, business, film industry, industries, hospitals, and jobs in Telangana are dominated or in the clutches of a few feudalists in the North Telangana only. Now, they have started expanding into south Telangana and Hyderabad also to get hold on prosperity of the region. These kinds of migrations would cause a cultural damage, colonization and occupying resources. The huge scale migrations from North Telangana has already started with TRS in 2001 at the outskirts and other parts of Hyderabad. This is going to increase exponentially in the next 5 years into Hyderabad, Khammam, and Nalgonda etc.

The same allegations made by TRS on Seemandra will be heard with louder voice in the near future in the case of South Telangana also. The bone of contention issues such as sharing of water, revenue, jobs, lands, education, self-respect, self-rule would be always a flash point between two regions in the near future as North Telangana politicians and industrialists will try to divert water, revenues, projects, lands, jobs after Telangana formation. Since years, two major castes have been dominating both the regions since Nizam era, in south and Hyderabad, it is dominated by Reddy, Goud and Yadavs in land holdings, whereas in North Telangana Velamas completely dominate the lands, business, education, jobs, economy, leaving a little space to Reddy, Kapu and others. Not implementing 610 GO due to secret understanding between the APNGO and TNGO as told by Ashok Babu as most of North Telangana people have occupied jobs in South Telangana including Hyderabad using local status or fake mulki certificates. Also, TNGO says they want 371(D) after creation of Telangana also, which supports allegations that North Telangana people occupied jobs in Hyderabad and South Telangana jobs. Instead, they should have asked GOM for increase of Zones in new Telangana state, but this has not happened.

Necessary measures for avoiding such regional disparities in Telangana are:

1. Region wise state budget and accounts of debt, surplus, revenue to be maintained separately for avoiding regional/district disparities, the diversion of funds from one region to other to be taken approval of assembly, all parties and concerned region. SC/ST and BC sub plan to be introduced as part of every regional budget for social justice.

2. Hyderabad should have separate budget and funding to Kuli Kuthubshahi development board for old city and HMDA regions

3. Should not be any GO to be issued for acquiring Wakf lands, Endowment lands and SC/ST lands in the name of public interest.

4. 371(D) to be continued in the new state or amended as per Indian constitution and zones to be increased to 5 from present 2, Hyderabad to be part of these zones, continue the old presidential order clauses for jobs reservation. Else, a few districts people will completely dominate the government jobs, hence leaving the others with empty hands. The employees should repatriated according to new presidential orders in the new state.

5. Should not be any increase of MLA seats as it creates fight over power and uncertainty, regional domination and meant for political unemployed only also it is tool to corner rivals by delimitation of constituencies. As campaigned, no region will benefit with more seats by population wise.

6. Increase reservations to Muslims/SC/ST/BC/Christians according to their population proportion of 80% with the constitution amendment which should be within limits of 69% reservation as per supreme verdict.

7. Strong and empowered Lokayuktha on similar line of Karnataka to be setup for avoiding upper caste encroachment and feudalist domination over the resources.

8. Relocate PSUs, central government Institutes, centers of excellence in Hyderabad to other districts of Telangana for the reducing burden on the Hyderabad and equitable development.

9. Power plants in the South Telangana and Hyderabad using the Singareni coal to be setup on priority basis for reducing the dependency Hyderabad power demand on North Telangana.

10. Alternative and cost effective solution to lift irrigations and bore irrigations in North Telangana region to be implemented, such as developing small lakes, rainwater harvesting, drip irrigation, commercial crops, industrialization etc.