Seemandhra Ministers Firm On "No AP Division"

The Union Ministers from Seemandhra region on Thursday made it clear that they were still trying to stop the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

Talking to reporters after meeting Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily, the ministers said that they were briefing the Central leaders on the consequences of division of state, especially the concerns of the people living in the coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema region.

They claimed that they did not submit any report to the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Telangana seeking packages for the Seemandhra region. They said that their role was put under suspicion by a section of media.

Union Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi said that they asked the Central leaders to avoid the state's bifurcation as it would cause great injustice to the people.

He said that Moily has assured them that the Centre would proceed on the bifurcation only after doing equal justice to all regions.

Union Minister of State J D Seelam said that the Seemandhra ministers have briefed Moily on "the concerns of the people, they represent, in the Parliament".

He said that no new proposals have been made to the Centre, seeking special package of funds for the Seemandhra.

He added that over Rs. 50,000 crore have been spent for the development of Hyderabad city, and that it is improper to ask the Seemandhra people to disown it due to state's division. (INN)