BRS asks Revanth Reddy to spell out stance on fate of five TS villages merged with AP

He recalled that the Congress Party, in its manifesto for the parliamentary polls, had given its commitment to reclaim the five villages Telangana had lost to AP.

Hyderabad: Coming down heavily on the Congress government for letting Telangana be at the receiving end in realisation of commitments given to it as part of the State Reorganisation exercise, BRS leader and former MLA Balka Suman on Wednesday demanded that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy spell out his stand on the fate of five gram panchayats in Bhadrachalam revenue division that were hanging in balance.

Addressing a news conference along with Peddi Sudarshan Reddy at Telangana Bhavan, he said the State leadership had for the last ten years been fighting for the de-merger of the villages of Etapaka, Gundala, Purushothampatnam, Kannegudem and Pichukulapadu with Andhra Pradesh and their reunion with Telangana.

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These villages were part of the seven revenue mandals merged with AP against the wishes of the local people by an ordinance issued by the Centre.

He recalled that the Congress Party, in its manifesto for the parliamentary polls, had given its commitment to reclaim the five villages Telangana had lost to AP.

He wanted Revanth Reddy to clarify whether the government still remained sincere to its commitment. Referring to AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s claim that he had taken oath as Chief Minister of AP during his previous term as the Chief Minister only after ensuring that the seven revenue mandals of erstwhile Khamamm district were merged with AP, Suman stated that the BRS had been waging a relentless fight for the five villages.

It had organised a state-wide bandh on the issue. The State was deprived of the Lower Sileru Hydel power unit as it was forced to part with the seven revenue mandals that were part of Khammam district.

Revanth Reddy had preferred to be silent over the issue now. Could this be taken as an indication of his surrender to the AP Chief Minister, his earstwhile guru on this count, he asked, stating that it was is quite obvious that Revanth Reddy was following the diktats of Naidu.

The appointment of a retired IAS officer, Adityanath Das as the Irrigation adviser to the government of Telangana was made as part of the understanding between the two, he alleged, adding that both Naidu and Revanth Reddy were working against the interests of Telangana.

Sudharshan Reddy demanded the government to cancel the appointment of Adityanath Das, former Chief Secretary of AP as the irrigation advisor to the government.

He alleged that the State government had failed to respond on the scandal in the civil supplies department. Revanth Reddy had not reviewed the Civil Supplies department’s activities so far. If the government failed to initiate action against those responsible for the scams, he said the BRS cadre would stage protests and lay siege to the Civil Supplies Bhavan soon.