Gutha writes to Sonia on Hyderabad status

New Delhi: Gutha Sukehender Reddy on Thursday addressed a letter to Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Hyderabad. The Telangana Congress MPs, like Ponnam Prabhakar and S Rajaiah among others met Sukhender Reddy’s residence to discuss the issue of Hyderabad.

In his letter to Sonia Gandhi, Sukhender Reddy said, “I would like to draw your kind attention towards the burning issue of Capital City i.e. Hyderabad. While announcing the separation of Telangana, by the CWC and the UPA, it was also categorically stated that the Hyderabad City under the purview of Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH) can be shared for 10 years to serve as Capital of both the States. Once the new capital is developed by Andhra Pradesh efforts can be made for the shifting of their power centre from Hyderabad.”

The Seemandhra rulers of the State were of the opinion and that agitation for separate Telangana is lurking and can erupt at any point in future. They even felt that if any such eventuality arises they should claim for sharing of Hyderabad as their Capital or to demand for making the city as Union Territory.

Keeping this in mind, late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajashekhara Reddy had included 12 Municipalities, which were contiguous to city of Hyderabad, namely L B Nagar, Gaddiannaram, Uppal Kalan, Kapra, Alwal, Qutubullapur, Malakajgiri, Kukatpally, Seri Lingampalli, Rajendranagar, Patancheru, Ramachandrapuram and 8 Gram Panchayats, namely, Shamsabad, Mamidipalli, Satamarai, Jalapally, Mankhal, Almasguda/Tukkuguda, Sardarnagar and Ravarala in Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad.

Later when the present incumbent Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy took over the reins of the State, he further continued the process of adding another villages and municipalities. All these acts and deeds of Seemandhra leaders were done with the clear intention to create trouble when actual bifurcation of State takes place, he said. Way back in 1971, the population under Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH) was just 20 lakhs. After passing 30 years or as per 2001 Census the population went upto 37 lakhs with covered area of around 220 sq. km. Since the demand for separation of Telangana from the united Andhra was initiated in the year 1956, the rulers of the State, a majority from Semaandhra Region, over a period of time, had sowed the seeds of clubbing surrounding villages of around 849, mandals and even districts into the territory of Hyderabad to show that the population had rapidly increased. The figures shown by the Administration as per the 2011 census around 68 lakhs to justify that due to the development of the city the population had increased to many fold.

Increase in the geographical area of Hyderabad has shown as 750 sq. km. against 220 sq. km in 1971. This increase is mainly because of clubbing parts of four districts out of 10 in Telangana, in the city of Hyderabad i.e. Mahabubnagar, Medak, Nalgonda and Rangareddy. It is not only clubbing the geographical area, but also adding their population into Hyderabad’s account.

Sukhender Reddy said it is unfortunate that even after the decision taken by the highest policy-making body, the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the attitude of the leaders from Seemandhra region is astonishing that they are showing diminishing loyalty towards the party, he said. They committed in the past that whatever decision the Congress High Command takes, they would abide by it.