Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy asserted on Monday that he would leave no stone unturned, with people’s support, to avert bifurcation and continuation of Andhra Pradesh as an integrated State.
“Those who have national and State interests as well as public welfare in mind will not favour bifurcation, but only those with selfish motives who will do so,” he remarked in a Rachabanda programme held at Rayachoti. Maintaining that division of the State was improper, he said the Union Government unfortunately decided to bifurcate the State.
Its decision was based on the letters given by the Telugu Desam Party, CPI, YSR Congress’ letter to bifurcate the State under Article 3 of the Constitution, Telangana Rashtra Samithi’s agitation and the demand of the Telangana Congress leaders, he added.
The participants raised their hands in unison when the Chief Minister asked if they were for a united State. “Position or the people are not permanent, but the State is,” he said. While Telangana would suffer from inadequate water resources and power, Seemandhra would be bogged down by lack of employment opportunities.
Stating that Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam projects took decades for completion, he said the government spent Rs.75,000 crore on irrigation projects. An additional Rs.1 lakh crore was required to complete the ongoing projects, including Rs.65,000 crore for Telangana, he said. Bifurcation would not benefit the State and would lead to several problems, he added.
Recalling that he became the Chief Minister on this day three years ago, when the State was in a grim financial situation with no funds to undertake development, Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy said he cleared pending scholarships, pavala vaddi and bills for Jalayagnam works.
He ensured increase in revenue accruals from Rs.49,000 crore, when he took over, to Rs.75,000 crore now.
He assured to consider upgradation of the 50-bed hospital at Rayachoti to a 100-bed one. Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy said that Rayachoti and his constituency Piler had many similarities such as lack of irrigation facilities, language, accent and customs.
He gave away cheques towards interest-free loans of Rs.10.20 crore to 19,437 self help groups, Rs.50 crore DRDA-bank linkage loans to 1,640 SHGs and MEPMA-bank linkage loans of Rs.10 crore to 288 groups. He also gave away letters sanctioning house sites, pensions and ration cards.
