Hyderabad: Ahead of the crucial meeting between Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu, the BRS on Thursday called for safeguarding the interests of Telangana while resolving the State bifurcation issues. The party hoped that the meeting would pave way for resolving longstanding issues and ensure a harmonious relationship between the States.
Speaking to mediapersons at Telangana Bhavan, former Minister V Srinivas Goud stressed the importance of finding permanent solutions to pending issues and prevent further differences between the people of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Highlighting the influential role of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu in the NDA alliance, he hoped that the meeting will yield unbiased solutions.
Srinivas Goud pointed out that the AP government is seeking a share in 23 institutions in Telangana and demanded that they should be safeguarded under Schedule 9 and 10 of the Andhar Pradesh Reorganisation Act which declared that institutions should be shared based on their geographical location in either States. He expressed concerns over the valuable properties around Hyderabad and stressed the need to protect Telangana’s assets from conspiracies. “Are we asking for share in properties located in Vijayawada or Tirupati?” he questioned.
In a separate press conference, former MLA Balka Suman expressed doubts over Chief Minsiter Revanth Reddy safeguarding the interests of Telangana with regard to it’s share in various institutions, undivided assets and also river water sharing. He demanded that the proceedings of the entire meeting should be released to the people of both the States. He questioned the intentions behind the meeting between the former colleagues, suggesting that it might lead to the exploitation of Telangana’s interests.
Former Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah accused Congress leaders of prioritising their own interests over the State’s. He criticised the Congress for its inability to maintain social balance in the Cabinet and for inducting six BRS MLAs into the party without addressing key issues plaguing the State.