Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu has indirectly faulted the Telangana government stand on the issue of implementing the fee reimbursement scheme.
Stating that it was for the State government to take decisions on such issues, Mr. Naidu made it clear that the Centre would not intervene and suggested both the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments to sit together and sort out the problem. “That’s the way the governments function in a democracy,” the Union Minister said addressing a press conference here on Sunday.
However, he felt that the Telangana government should not make students suffer and there should not be any discrimination on its treatment between students who opt to study in Telangana, even if they belonged to other parts of the combined Andhra Pradesh State. “In my view, that is the constitutional spirit”, he said.
On the ‘controversy’ over the appointment of tennis player Sania Mirza as its Brand Ambassador by the Telangana government, the senior BJP leader said he would not comment on it but suggested those who were taking such decisions to think who was more committed to protect and propagate the interests of Telangana. The local government should take a call keeping in mind such parameters as people continuously watch governments’ actions, he noted.
To a question that the Centre was not cooperating and helping both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments on the issue of farm loan waiver, the Union Minister said the two States would be treated with the same yardstick being meted out to other States.
Asked whether the Centre would intervene as the local government was being accused of harassing the concessional partner of Hyderabad Metro Rail, Mr. Naidu said issues, if any, would be discussed with that government.