Union minister Jairam Ramesh on Thursday appealed for reconciliation and cooperation between Telangana and Seemandhra for the speedy and overall development of both the states.
Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan here, Jairam said that the days of the agitation are over, and that this is the time for administration. He listed out the provisions in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill that addresses the Seemandhra concerns.
He hoped that the day of appointment of Telangana would be announced by next week, which would be followed by the appointment of separate Chief Ministers, Chief Secretaries and DGPs for both the states.
He spoke at length about the advantages of bifurcation for both the states, especially Seemandhra. He said that assurances given by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on the floor of the Rajya Sabha would be implemented.
Jairam Ramesh also accused the BJP of trying to stop the Telangana Bill in the Rajya Sabha. Further, he said that the Special Category State status for Telangana was sought not by the BJP, but by Congress MPs from the Seemandhra region. He said that the Prime Minister himself had announced a six-point package for the Seemandhra state.
He said that the entire process of bifurcation would be completed in three months.
When asked about acting Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy's decision to approach the Supreme Court against the Telangana Bill, he said that the Bill was not illegal, and that it was drafted and passed based under Articles 371 (D) on the judgements passed by the Supreme Court on different occasions.
He also dismissed reports of him planning to contest the next Lok Sabha polls from the Seemandhra region.
Earlier, when a Telangana JAC delegation met Jairam Ramesh, he requested them to join their Seemandhra counterparts and come out with a "Joint-Joint Action Committee" with representatives of both sides.
PCC President Botsa Satyanarayana and AICC SC Department chairman K Raju were also present. (INN)