KCR thanks Sonia, PM

• Objects to some provisos in Draft T Bill
• Decides to write to PM listing objections
• Law & order in Hyd cannot be taken away from T state
• Existing rules on education, jobs would harm T interests
• Assures Seemandhras of safety and prosperity in T state

Hyderabad: TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday thanks Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh profusely for deciding to create Telangana state with ten districts and Hyderabad as its capital. He told media persons that but for the tenacity exhibited by Sonia Telangana Bill would not have been possible. KCR, however, objected to certain points included in the draft Telangana Bill. He demanded the Union Government to drop objectionable proposals pertaining to the powers that would be given to the Governor of Telangana after bifurcation of the state.

Addressing the media after the party’s politburo meeting, Rao said he would soon write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh voicing his concerns and objections over the Draft T Bill which was approved by the Union Cabinet on Thursday. He said there were issues like distribution of employees, pensions, liabilities, assets, sharing of river waters and continued facilities for students of both the states, who would be pursuing higher education in T State for the next 10 years.

Giving special powers of law and order in common capital (which is a state subject) to Governor-led super council of administrators would be nothing but insulting and belittling the Telangana people, he said. Laws and provisions for the 29th state of Telangana should be similar to those in other states, Rao demanded.

He said that retired IAS officers and river water experts were tasked with the job of going through the draft report “in detail” in order to recommend any changes to safeguard rights of Telangana people.

He appealed to the Union Government to give up its proposal to distribute employees and pensions on the basis of population. Nativity of the employee should be the sole criterion for deciding relocation of employees as well as for giving pensions. He pointed out that former Chief Ministers Kasu Brahmananda Reddy and NT Rama Rao had issued GOs (36 and 610), stating that 83,000 non-locals were present in Telangana region.

It would be very difficult for the Telangana government to bear the burden of pensions to most of them, who have since retired from service, he said.

The TRS president said that continuing existing procedures, reservations and common entrance tests in higher education sector would render injustice to Telangana student community. Instead, the Centre should take steps to set up prestigious national institutes like IITs, IIMs etc, in the residuary state, if possible, from the next academic year itself.

KCR was also critical of the union government’s decision to distribute liabilities and assets based on population. Loans taken on irrigation projects falling in a particular state’s territory should be paid only by the concerned government. Assets outside the State such as AP Bhavan in New Delhi (which was given in lieu of Nizam-owned Hyderabad House in the national capital) should remain with the Telangana state, he stressed.

He appealed to the central government to allot two Rajya Sabha seats for Telangana region in 2014 instead of one as recommended, since Nandi Yellaiah and M A Khan (both from Telangana) would complete their term next year. The remaining quota of Upper House seats for Telangana state (five out of a total of seven) could be two RS seats in 2016 and remaining three in 2018, Rao pointed out.

Urging the Seemandhra people who settled down in Telangana region not to believe in rumours about their safety in the new Telangana state, the TRS chief said, "Seemandhra community will be treated on a par with Telangana people in terms of rights and every other aspect.”

To go soft on Cong

The TRS despite having certain reservations over the provisions of the draft T Bill has decided not to criticise the Congress party as it was moving forward in carving separate T state.

KCR said that though the Congress president Sonia Gandhi needs to be thanked for taking bold decision to bifurcate the state, the TRS was not thinking of merger with Congress as of now. Only when terms and conditions are accepted mutually such sort of an arrangement could be thought of. “It is too early at this stage,” he remarked.

KCR urged the party functionaries and the people of Telangana not to relax since this was just a draft Bill. The formalities in Assembly and parliament still remain to go through. The real celebrations would erupt, like never seen before in the world, once the Bill got the nod of the parliament. A massive public meeting with a gathering of more than 25 lakh people would be held in Warangal to celebrate the historical occasion, he added.

KCR said that by January, both Telangana and residuary Andhra Pradesh states would have different governments.

Replying to a question, KCR said that last ditch attempts of Seemandhra lobby to delay Assembly proceedings would not yield results. President is the supreme authority and he would act according to the constitution. At the time of division of Punjab, only a single day’s time was given by the then President for the Assembly to express its views, he reminded.