KCR sets the agenda

• ‘No reason for Seemandhra people to feel out of place in Telangana’
• KCR says his views were distorted, quoted out of context
• Wants a Dalit CM, ready to talk to Naxals
• He will head the Advisory Council if elected to power
• Power supply his main concern, will generate more power

Hyderabad : Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrasekhar Rao has stated that his views on Seemandhra government employees were distorted and taken out of context. Hyderabad boasts of being home for people from different states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bengal and there was no reason for Seemandhra people to feel out of place in the new Telangana state, he said. He was speaking at the ‘meet the press’ programme organized by Telangana Journalists Forum on Sunday.

“I just said that Seemandhra employees should work in their government while Telangana employees in the new Telangana administration. Government staff from other regions can stay here for ten or even 12 years until the infrastructure gets ready. Some people were saying that they had worked here for 30 years. In that case, they can retire here itself and later buy a house to settle down here.

The TRS chief said various government appointed committees pointed out that people from other regions occupied around 1.5 lakh posts in Telangana. The separate state movement was essentially about injustice meted out to the region in terms of water, funds and government appointments. What is the need for a separate state if these anomalies were not corrected, questioned the TRS supremo.

KCR bats for Dalit CM
Replying to a query, Rao reiterated that a Dalit leader would be made the first chief minister if he had a say in the newly formed Telangana state.

“I would head a State Advisory Council which would be in touch with the CM and other stakeholders for fulfilling my dream projects concerning education, irrigation, agriculture, drinking water, housing, among others,” he added.

Everybody knows my weakness
To a question about merger with Congress, Rao said that it was too early to discuss about such political issues. “We are eagerly waiting for the moment when Telangana Bill gets the nod of parliament.” Asked about any pre-condition set by the Congress for conceding Telangana, he pointed out that everybody knew his weakness and the extent to which he could go to fulfill it. KCR, however, stated that he would put his vision and framework for Telangana reconstruction before the Congress high command. If they rejected it and denied statehood, TRS would renew the agitation once again for realizing the goal, he added.

Polavaram project is a deal
The TRS chief pointed out that the Congress high command’s nod for Polavaram project was due to the conditions set by Seemandhra leaders if Telangana was conceded. TRS had made its stand very clear on Polavaram issue and even filed a petition in the Supreme Court and the judgment was still awaited. Once Telangana was carved out, TRS would take all steps to the protect interests of the Telangana region. He pointed out that the status of Bhadrachalam, whose identity and records were yet to be ascertained, would be decided on the majority demand of the people residing in the temple town.

Power to be bought from Chhattisgarh
The big challenge before the new government in Telangana is to meet the power requirements. However, plans have been drawn to address this key issue. Initially power will be bought from Chhattisgarh, which has surplus. Close to Rs 2000-3000 crore per year would be spent for this purpose in order that agriculture and industry sectors did not get affected. Parallel efforts would be made to build 10 generating stations and coal mines to produce 10,000 mw of power in the next 5-7 years. A corridor from Kagaznagar till Manuguru would be set up to tap abundant mineral resources, he stated.

Brijesh Kumar Tribunal would be requested to delay its judgment
Meanwhile, KCR informed that the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal headed by Justice Brijesh Kumar would be approached to delay its order on water allocations in view of the bifurcation of the State. TRS senior leader B Vinod Kumar had been entrusted with this job, he said.
The TRS chief also found fault with state administration’s efforts to bring water from the Godavari river to solve drinking water woes of Hyderabad. The state capital falls under the Krishna Basin and hence it is easy to divert Krishna water here, he stressed.

Ready for talks with Naxals
Answering a question, KCR stated that the newly formed government would engage in talks with Naxals to address the problem. “I believe intellectuals, social activists, newspaper Editors and even the Chief Minister should be part of the discussions rather than the police since the purpose would go to waste,” he felt.

Cine Industry to be encouraged
Reiterating that industries would be extended red carpet welcome, the TRS chief even assured Telugu Cine Industry of full co-operation from the government.
T, Pharma and other sectors would receive encouragement like before. Chandrasekhar Rao declared his intentions of establishing satellite townships in Nalgonda, Jadcherla and other areas surrounding Hyderabad. These townships would be linked with Hyderabad by roads and Light Rail Transit System (LRTS) like HMR so that public could reach the state capital in less than 30 minutes.