KCR failed to get promises delivered

Hanamkonda: The Chief Minister, K Chandrashekar Rao, has failed to get the promises made in AP Reorganisation Act delivered by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, alleged Congress former chief whip Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy.

The UPA government has made several provisions in the Act for the development of Telugu states - Telangana and Andhra Pradesh - during the formation of Telangana State. But the NDA government was not making any effort to implement them, he said.

Speaking to the press here on Monday, the Congress leader said the union budgets tabled by the BJP government so far have amply proved the fact. Even though the recent union budget has not addressed any of the developmental demands of Telangana, Chandrashekar Rao was unable to question the Centre.

The CM’s failure to question the Centre clearly indicates his collusion with the BJP and his negligent attitude towards States’ development. It seems that the CM feared Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that was why he was maintaining silence, Ramana Reddy pointed out.

The CM’s attitude could be well understood with the fact that he remained a mute spectator when the Centre merged seven mandals of Telangana with residual Andhra Pradesh. The same was the case with the proposal of setting up integrated steel plant at Bayyaram.

Promises like Tribal University, railway coach factory at Kazipet and AIIMS to Telangana State were incorporated in the Reorganisation Act by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh so as to ensure justice to the new states. While Tribal University required a minimum of Rs 2,000 crore, the Centre allocated just Rs 10 crore in the recent budget. Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh was accorded national project status. But Chandrashekar Rao failed to get the same for Kaleshwaram project, Ramana Reddy lamented.

Even as the NDA government neglecting Telangana, the BJP leaders in the State were making riotous claims on their party growing strong and the only alternate to TRS. “How could the BJP leaders expect the people in Telangana to support them while the Centre neglects the State’s development?” he posed.

The Congress leader further noted that Reorganisation Act was very clear on granting special status to Andhra Pradesh. But sadly, that State’s CM N Chandrababu Naidu was also unable to get the promise delivered.

It was right for both the CM’s of Telugu states to fight against the BJP government at the Centre for its negligence towards the development of the states. Congress party would launch agitations and if required would take up an indefinite hunger strike for the sake of Telangana development, Ramana Reddy said.