Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad   

`Separate Statehood will not benefit Telangana'

By Our Special Correspondent

Hyderabad Jan. 9. The Panchayat Raj Minister, N. Janardhan Reddy, who belongs to the Telangana, feels that the region cannot achieve development as a separate entity.

Elaborating on the point at a press meet here on Thursday, he referred to the power subsidy given to farmers in the region, which accounted for most of the 22-lakh and odd pump sets in the State requiring a subsidy of Rs. 2,500 crores for this year. "Will this be possible in a separate State,'' he asked, contending that other regions of the State, in fact, were contributing to the progress of Telangana.

As a one-time close associate of the TRS chief, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, the Minister claimed that he knew his real intentions in launching the party. Mr. Rao was "restless'' after being he denied a Ministerial berth.

Dr. Reddy recalled how his family was in the forefront of the separate Telangana struggle launched by the Telangana Praja Samiti (TPS). As a student leader, he was the first to be arrested. His uncle was beaten up and thrown from the roof of his house by followers of the then Chief Minister, Kasu Brahmananda Reddy.

The Telugu Desam, he said, was different. The region achieved phenomenal development under the leadership of the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu. It was there for everybody to see. The farmers in the region once used to suffer a lot regarding power supply for pump sets. But now, the situation changed with the installation of transformers everywhere. He said the TRS chief was hypocritical. While in the Telugu Desam, he enjoyed power and never raised the issue of Telangana or its myriad problems at any of the Cabinet meetings or party fora, he said.

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