Don’t tinker with Hyd status, KCR warns

• Calls upon T community to prepare for another battle
• Hyderabad history dates back to 400 years
• Seemandhras can easily build another ‘Hyderabad’ in their region
• Kiran Kumar Reddy can set up a five-star hotel, if not a curry point in T

Any move by the Union Government to tinker with the status of Hyderabad would not be tolerated, TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao said in no uncertain terms on Saturday. Calling upon the Telangana community to be prepared for another round of agitation, if needed, on Hyderabad, Chandrasekhar Rao felt any compromise on this crucial subject would have an adverse impact on future generations.

Speaking at a meeting organised by Telangana Electricity Employees JAC near Mint Compound, KCR urged the government to take up pending power projects in the region. Chandrasekhar Rao was highly critical of claims made by Seemandhra sections that they were responsible for development of Hyderabad.

The history of Hyderabad dates back to 400 years. Quli Qutub Shah laid the foundation stone for Hyderabad and later on Asaf Jahis took over the mantle of development, he pointed.

How can TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu ignore these basic facts and instead go on preaching that he deserved the whole credit for city development, Chandrasekhar Rao questioned.

“Why this big fuss about who developed Hyderabad. If Seemandhras strongly believe that it was them who gave a facelift for the city, let them build another ‘Hyderabad’ like city in their own region,” the TRS supremo said. The TRS chief further stated a panel comprising CEOs from various countries zeroed in on the city for its cosmopolitan culture and convenient climate besides other factors despite stiff competition from Gujarat and Karnataka.

Chandrasekhar Rao said that no private companies would be allowed to set up thermal and hydel power projects in Telangana State.

He cited faulty policies behind private companies reaping profits while the State was reeling under power crisis.

The TRS chief called upon the Telangana electricity employees to put in their extra efforts to ensure that the new Telangana State would emerge as a power surplus state overcoming the present deficiency of 47 per cent. Power is the most important sector and the onus is on electricity staff to generate 15,000 MW of power in the next five years to meet the demand, he said. He also said that contract staff in various government departments would be regularised in one go, he said adding that salaries of permanent employees would be hiked on par with NTPC scales.

K Chandrasekar Rao said that some people were offended for no reason when he stated Chief Minister could set up a curry point in Hyderabad if he wished to stay here after division of the State.

“I took to farming on city outskirts because of my interest in agriculture. Even Chandrababu Naidu is doing business of selling milk and vegetables through his Heritage outlets.

Kiran Kumar Reddy ran a hotel in Bangalore and hence I said he could set up a curry point. If it is not of his stature then he could instead set up a five star hotel,” KCR said.

G Vivek, T Harish Rao, K Vidyasagar Rao (TRS), Yannam Srinivas Reddy (BJP), G Deviprasad, Addanki Dayaker, K Govardhan, Rasmai Balkishan (TJAC) and members of 18 different electricity unions from ten districts of Telangana took part.