Bye Bye Krishnaiah

R. Krishnaiah, who joined the Telugudesam Party just before the elections has had a fantastic offer coming from TDP Chief CBN. Naidu announced the BC man as TDP’s CM candidate for Telangana before the elections. However, the honeymoon between Naidu and Krishnaiah is over it seems!

The BC CM candidate of the party is contemplating on ditching TDP and joining the Pink wagon party. The reasons seem to be clear. Krishnaiah is feeling dejected after being humiliated and ignored by the party after the election results.

Even when the TDP Legislature party meeting was held recently at Hyderabad, Krishnaiah was not even informed let alone invited by the party.

Now KCR wants Krishnaiah in his party as it will give him additional strength to have him reach the BCs in the Telangana state. In case KCR draws Krishnaiah into the party, then it will be a blow to the TDP as TRS vowed to wipe out TDP from the state by next elections and Krishnaiah’s inclusion will strengthen the party’s base among BCs.

It could mean more than that actually. In case Krishnaiah leaves TDP and Chandrababu doesn’t do anything then it will send negative signals to BCs in the seemandhra too. But it remains to be seen if Krishnaiah will remain in TDP or join TRS!

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T-state to have 24 districts soon: KCR

Telangana state would be divided into 24 districts for better administration, Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said on Wednesday. He also announced waiver of transport tax for auto rickshaws.

Addressing a public meeting following a victory rally during his maiden visit to his Gajwel constituency after assuming charge as Chief Minister, KCR said the state would soon have 24 districts and his government would strive for overall development of each district.

“Each district will have one hospital like NIMS. Every primary health centres would have 30 beds and every area hospitals will have 100 beds. All the government hospitals would be having better facilities than private hospitals,” he said.

He said that his government would constitute a State Advisory Council consisting of representatives from people’s organisations, editors and intellectuals, who would review all the government schemes and programmes and give suggestions to the government.

He said his government would give top priority to education and in next two years efforts would be made to provide free education to all the children from KG to PG.

Vowing to make Telangana a model state in all respects, KCR said welfare and development would be the two driving forces of his government.

“People of Telangana are looking forward to a progressive and development-oriented state. We will work in that direction and ensure a transparent administration. We will make Telangana a model state in the country in all respects,” he said.

In the next five years, the TRS government will spend `1 lakh crore for the welfare on Schedule Castes, Schedule Tribes, Backward Classes and minorities. Of this, `50,000 crore will be spent on SC welfare alone, KCR announced. He said as promised during the run-up to elections, `1,000 as pension for the aged and widows and `1,500 for the disabled will be provided at the earliest. He said he would develop surrounding areas of Hyderabad into a “horticulture hub”, which would create market for the farmers.

Announcing his plans for the development of Gajwel Assembly constituency represented by him, KCR announced that he would set up a Gajwel Development Authority for the overall development of the constituency.

He also announced the construction of 5,000 double-bedroom houses in Gajwel constituency. “As promised, houses with two bed rooms, one hall and kitchen, along with bathroom in 125 sq yards will be constructed for the economically backward,” he said.

“Land would be identified for the construction of houses in the constituency. I have directed the officials concerned to set up a counter in the constituency for collecting applications from the beneficiaries. I would see that all the poor in my constituency get houses,” he remarked.

The chief minister said he would see that in the next one and a half years, the problem of drinking water in the Gajwel region will be solved. “If we are not able to solve the drinking water problem then along with me all the MPTC members and sarpanches would have to resign. So, we will see that the issue is taken care of,” he asserted.

He said that his aim is to provide water to 2-3 lakh acres in next two to three years in Gajwel constituency. “A blueprint would be prepared for the implementation of the project,” he said.

To improve connectivity, he said a four-lane road would be laid between Pragnapur and Gajwel and a Central Lighting System would be set up. Later, interacting with MPTCs and sarpanches, KCR asked them to submit village-wise plans to the government.

Rao was all praises for district collector Smita Sabharwal for her exemplary work in Medak district. Addressing a public meeting and later in a review meeting here on Wednesday, Chandrasekhar Rao pointed at the reduction of Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in the district. “Due to the sincere efforts of the collector, Medak was able to achieve this. She did excellent work while working at Karimnagar,” he said.

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President dodges Telangana query

Indian political parties do learn lessons from the people’s mandate and do a mid-course correction as was evident from the fact that the country has seen stable governments for the past decade and a half despite fractured mandates, said President Pranab Mukherjee, during an informal chat with reporters on his return from Allahabad on Wednesday

“There is an unwritten understanding among parties since 1999 that stability in governance should not be disturbed,” he said.

The President shared his views on wide ranging issues like the strength of Indian democracy, the lessons people teach to political parties, simplicity of elected representatives, the changing trends in elections, advent of social media and the power of language and art in uniting people.

Asked whether the people of Andhra Pradesh would be relieved of uncertainty in the new year, the President replied diplomatically: “As I said, in our democracy, people and political parties address and resolve all issues.”

Referring to the country facing elections five times between 1989 and 1999 instead of three, the President said a section of people, including the media, strongly advocated Constitutional changes to ensure stability.

The President averred that several Chief Ministers and ministers had practised the highest levels of austerity and simplicity in the past. They lived in two-bed room flats and ran the administration for a long time. Even election expenditure was kept to a minimum.

“All that the candidates did was to follow a designated party worker in a car sent by the party and address people wherever they were told to,” he recalled.

The President’s observations gained significance in the backdrop of Aam Admi Party making big news out of its leader Aravind Kejriwal refusing official bungalows for him and his ministers.

Asked how he is preparing for an eventful year ahead when the country goes in for a general election, Mukherjee said he believes democracy will always win in the end.

“Some political parties may win and some may lose but it is always democracy that stands winner. In the latest round of elections in Chhattisgarh, people voted in large numbers despite Maoists giving a boycott call,” he said.

The President has also found a welcoming development in the increasing vote percentage, which he says is a reflection of people’s faith in the system.

About one per cent of voters exercising the ‘none of the above’ option in the latest  elections, he said, “It is one form of expression and I am sure political parties will learn lessons from it and change accordingly.”

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Seema Andhra in distress!

What does an abandoned child do? He just stare helplessly with a worried look. This is the state of entire Seema Andhra people. Keeping aside the discussion whether the bifurcation is justified or not, the way they handled the issue is totally annoying. Never in the history, a new state walked way with a state capital. And that too the division is being done with out any assurance for the future.

The Center talks about the packages but do not reveal the numbers. It allots National status to Polavaram project but the villages going to be immersed are in Telangana region, there is no assurance that Telangana government will cooperate during the construction. And the major problem is no one is actually asking for Seema Andhra people, whoever comes out are being tagged as supporters of bifurcation and are thrown mud at. Seema Andhra today is just an abandoned child!

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CABINET APPROVES TELANGANA WITH 10 DISTRICTS

The union cabinet Thursday approved the draft bill for bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and carving out Telangana as the 29th state of India.

Setting aside speculations about Rayala-Telangana, the cabinet decided to carve out Telangana state comprising 10 districts of the region. Also rejecting the demand of leaders of Seemandhra (combined Rayalseema and coastal Andhra regions) for making Hyderabad a union territory, it stuck to the earlier decision that the city would be a common capital for 10 years.
The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill will be sent to President Pranab Mukherjee Friday or Saturday with a request to make a reference to the Andhra Pradesh assembly, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde told reporters after the three-hour long cabinet meet chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
He said the president would send the draft bill to the assembly with a stipulated time to consider it. After the assembly sends back the bill, it would be brought before the cabinet again and would be tabled in parliament. "We want the bill in the winter session," Shinde said. Reading out the highlights of the bill, the home minister said the governor of Telangana would have special responsibility for protection of lives and property of people of other regions living in Hyderabad.
An expert committee would be constituted in 45 days to identify the capital of residuary state of Andhra Pradesh. "The government will make special efforts to ensure equitable dignity and opportunity for the people of the state. Special care will be taken by the government to set up economic and social stability," Shinde added. "The government will make special efforts towards the social and religious institutions of the state," he said. The draft bill is based on the recommendations of the Group of Ministers (GoM), which submitted its report to the cabinet. Ahead of the decision, police went on high alert in Andhra Pradesh Thursday. An alert was sounded in Hyderabad and 13 districts of Seemandhra (combined Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra) as the union cabinet began its meeting

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HCU big problem than Hyderabad?

Hyderabad Central University is a reputed institution based in Hyderabad and run by the Central government. Now with the formation of Telangana looking imminent, sources say that this will become a big problem than even Hyderabad! The leaders of Telangana have been demanding that HCU should be given exclusively to Telanganites and Seemandhra’s should be restricted. Apart from this, it will be anyway be open to rest of India. But according to 371-E article of constitution, HCU has been granted to ‘Andhra Pradesh state’ and if it has to be blocked for Andhras and only Telangana students can go for it from the local quota then it may be an impossible task. It is being said that to make HCU consider only Telangana as locals, an Assembly resolution from more than half of India’s states is needed which will be herculean task! This is just a tip of the iceberg and there are many complicated issues like this. 

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Three last balls to turn the bifurcation game?

The bifurcation process of AP is being compared to a cricket match from both sides of the divide. While Kiran says the match is not over till the last ball is played, Telangana ministers say the match is already over! Now according to cricket terminology, there are three last balls to be bowled according to Seemandhra leaders and AP CM Kiran. They are President Pranab Mukherjee, the Supreme Court and the BJP which are the key for stalling Telangana formation. President Pranab can temporarily halt the division due to perceived procedural lapses in the Centre's decision. Secondly Supreme Court, though it has declined to intervene now is expected to issue a possible ‘stay’ at an appropriate time. Finally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is being approached by politicians cutting across party lines form Seemandhra region with an appeal to block the bill in Parliament given their hopes over BJP’s change in tone and tenor over the state division issue though on the record it still favors Telangana statehood! 

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After Telangana, film on Samaikyandhra!

Real life incidents, happenings and even movements inspire filmmakers to come with films on them. This is seen in many cases. Earier when Telangana movement is on high, filmmakers from Telangana region came with films like Jai Bolo Telangana, Veera Telangana and Poru Telangana. 

N.Sankar cameout with the first one which even won him many awards while R.Narayanamurthy though hailing from Seemandhra made films depicting ground realities in the other two.

According to the latest a film on Samaikyandhra movement is in the anvil. Neelisetti Subbarao owner of popular overseas distributor Crown Movies is getting ready to come with a film titled Jai Samaikyandhra. Film will star a popular hero known for his revolutionary films. Vandemataram Srinivas will score music for the film which will go for sets as soon as possible eyeing Nov 1st, AP formation day as its release date.

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