Develop Backward Regions First: CPI (M)

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has said that irrespective of the state being united or divided, there was immediate need to develop backward regions and districts.

CPI (M) state secretary B V Raghavulu and floor leader in Assembly J Ranga Reddy, during their brief interaction with the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Wednesday reiterated their united Andhra Pradesh stand.

They said that inequalities and uneven growth would not end after bifurcation.

In fact, they may intensify after the division and lead to newer forms of regionalism, the stated.

Union Ministers - Sushil Kumar Shinde, M Veerappa Moily and Jairam Ramesh also attended the meeting.

In its 3-page submission, the party demanded that the Centre help the state in terms of financial assistance and assured water allocation to ensure the completion of projects in drought-prone backward regions.

It sought financial support to complete Handri Neeva, Galeru Nagari, Kalwakurthy and Nettampad, Veligonda, Srisailam Left Bank canal projects.

The CPI (M) urged the Centre to redress the imbalance in allotment of water from Krishna, by negotiating with riparian states and to bear the entire cost of Pranahita-Chevella project .

The party said that as all the central institutes of education, health and research are concentrated in and around Hyderabad, the CPI (M) leadership wanted similar institutions to be set up in backward regions.

Also, educational complexes should be built in agency areas like Paderu, Kurupam, Rampachodavaram, Bhadrachalam, Eturunagaram, Utnoor and Asifabad, they demanded.

The CPI (M) said that it wants growth complexes comprising industrial, Information Technology, education and health sectors in North Telangana and Rayalaseema. It also asked for the gas and coal allocation policy to be revised.