TDP demands UT status for Hyd

Hyderabad: The demand for declaring Hyderabad as Union Territory has resurfaced in the aftermath of the cash-for-vote scam and alleged tapping of telephones of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and other leaders including ministers and top officials.In a reaction to the opposition expressed by the TS Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao towards the demand for implementation of Section 8 of the AP State Reorganisation Act and his reported threat to sit on indefinite fast and launch yet another agitation, the TDP ministers and leaders alleged it amounts to depriving people of AP from enjoying their rights accorded under APRA.

Continuing its tirade against TRS government for obstructing the Governor from implementing section 8 , TDP on Wednesday demand the Centre to accord UT (Union Territory) status to Hyderabad and provide safety and security to AP people and their assets in the State capital.

People of Andhra Pradesh who are staying in Hyderabad have equal rights and are paying Rs 6000 crore as taxes to the TS government, said AP Forest Minister Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy, Social Welfare Minister Ravella Kishore Babu and party senior leader Gali Muddukrishnama Naidu. They said if the Centre cannot direct the Governor to exercise his powers under section 8, it should declare Hyderabad as Union Territory.

They also said the Telangana government was creating enmity between people of the two States by denying scholarships to AP students and taking over the buildings owned by AP government by violating norms in the Act. Still division of assets of various PSUs are to be completed but without all that happening the TS government wants the employees and government to move out of Hyderabad which is unconstitutional, APNGO leadere Ashok Babu said.

Just before the bifurcation of the state, the AP leaders and ministers in UPA government had said , “It is indisputable that Hyderabad has been transformed into a large metropolis due to the collective efforts of people of three regions. So, it is not proper to straight away give it to Telangana. The city should be made a UT for the sake of all the three regions and the two new States should build their own capitals.”

Those who expressed this opinion at that time were five Union ministers from Seemandhra, MM Pallam Raju, Purandeswari, K Chiranjeevi, JD Seelam and Killi Krupa Rani. However, one year after the bifurcation this demand of TDP did not find support from other political parties. Talking to The Hans India YSR Congress party senior leader A Rambabu said that the ruling TDP raised the UT status to Hyderabad only to cover up the failure of the AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in getting implementation of the Section 8. CPI, AP unit Secretary K Ramakrishna supported the demand for enforcing Section 8 but said the issue of UT was now irrelevant.

The APCC too feels that it was not proper to rake a new controversy. The party president N Raghuveera Reddy said that AP ministers were raking up an unnecessary demand. The Centre had considered this issue before bifurcation and had incorporated Section 8 in the APRA only because UT was not possible, AP BJP president K Haribabu said that implementation of Section 8 was necessary.

He said if TS feels that it was against constitution, the TS government could go to the court. As long as it is part of the act, the TS government cannot raise any objection, he said. However, he did not react to the demand for UT. On the other hand TRS MP Jitender Reddy said discussing such issues was sheer waste of time. Andhra Pradesh ministers should concentrate on work instead of raking up such useless issues, he said.

BJP MLC Ramachander Rao said demand of UT is absurd. Both governments should exercise restraint. Revanth Reddy issue is being probed by the ACB. This isolated case should not affect friendly relations between people of two Telugu States.