Antony panel put in a fix

Kiran makes strong plea for united AP

• Meets Antony committee in war room for over an hour
• Both States will be set back by 20 years in development
• Submits reports on Hyderabad, impact of bifurcation
• Naxals already entered Andhra and T region
• Politically also, Cong will suffer in both regions

Hyderabad/New Delhi: Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Tuesday made vociferous plea against bifurcation of the State before the Antony committee in New Delhi. Kiran who met the committee members in the war room for over an hour was learnt to have presented two reports one on the apprehensions pertaining to Hyderabad and the problems the people from Seemandhra region who had settled down here and another on the problems and repercussions that would arise from bifurcation of the state. This included issues like sharing of water and other resources.

He told the committee that for the first time a situation would arise where one dam will have to be divided between two states. He said already naxals are making inroads into coastal Andhra and Telangana regions and if state was bifurcated, the law and order situation would be worse than Chattisgarh and Jharkhand.

He is also said to have reiterated how Telangana region would suffer on account of power shortage. He said that both the states would go back by 20 years in terms of developments and two generations will have to suffer. Kiran was said to have told the Antony Committee that Hyderabad has sentimental and emotional attachment for Seemandhra people and it had emerged as medical hub. If bifurcated people from the other state would have to travel all the way to another state for international standard medicare.

Even politically bifurcation would not benefit the state, Kiran told the Antony committee. While in Telangana region, it will not derive the expected benefit from bifurcation, in Seemandhra region it would be a total washout for the party, the chief minister reportedly told the committee. Several new problems like human resources, jobs interstate fight over water would also arise and hence, Kiran said that the high command should reconsider its decision to bifurcate the state.

He was said to have expressed his serious displeasure over the manner in which the CWC ignored the social and economic factors before taking a decision to bifurcate the state.

The Chief Minister was originally scheduled to meet Antony committee at 9 pm after the ministers, MPs, MLAs and MLCs had expressed their views on division of the state. All the Seemandhra leaders had reached the war room a little before 8 pm but as Kiran also reached the place by that time, the Antony committee members called him to express his views on the issue.

Seemandhra leaders, ministers call on Antony panel

• Oppose bifurcation of AP, a bastion of Congress
• Since it’s only party decision, it can be withdrawn
• Earlier, even the govt stand was reversed in 2009

Hyderabad/New Delhi: The Seemandhra leaders and ministers, while making a strong plea not to bifurcate the State, told the Antony committee that the party decision would neither help the party nor the country in any manner.

In a detailed presentation, Antony Committee was told that both regions were inextricably interlinked to each other. Politically, the Congress will be worst-affected in case of division, as Andhra Pradesh has been its bastion, which propped up the UPA-I and UPA-II Governments.

If the party goes ahead with its decision to divide the State, the ramifications –social, economical, political and even in terms of law and order – will be adverse. This decision will affect the rights of Dalits and Adivasis who are on the path to development. Keeping all such issues in view, the party should reconsider its decision and keep the State united. There is no point in inviting new problems at this stage, the Seemandhra leaders told the Antony committee.

They pointed out that at present it is only a party decision that can be reconsidered and revisited, in the wake of a massive agitation in Seemandhra region. Earlier, when the then Union Home Minister P Chidambaram announced the government’s decision on December 9, 2009, even that was put on hold.

They told the committee that Hyderabad is bound to face acute power shortages and will be forced to purchase power. On the issue of water-sharing, it was pointed out that while Tribunal Awards and court verdicts may be there, but these are honoured more in breach than in practice, as it has been seen in the case of Babhali Project in Maharashtra and Almati Dam in Karnataka. In case of bifurcation water-sharing problems would be added.

The traditional rice bowl will turn into a desert. Gade Venkat Reddy said, “Nothing short of united Andhra Pradesh will do. Anywhere in Seemandhra region, there is only one slogan: Keep Andhra Pradesh United. We were guided by that sentiment in our representation to Antony Committee.” Asked about Rayala-Telangana, he said, “No such a proposal is there”. They also expressed concern over the safety of people from these regions in Hyderabad.

Even before the state is bifurcated leaders from T region were creating panic in their minds, they said. The AICC general secretary in charge of state affairs told media that the panel had heard all the view points of the Seemandhra leaders. “This is not the end. The panel will meet the leaders from August 26 to 28. Chief Minister Kiran, State Ministers, MLAs KV Krishna Reddy, J C Diwakar Reddy, V Parthasarathy, Ramachandraiah, G Srinivas Rao, K Subbarayudu, K Murali, Erasu Pratap Reddy, Shailajanath and Gade Venkat Reddy.