Hyderabad: Is the Congress-led UPA government giving a serious thought to creating a Telangana state? The answer seems yes going by the remarks made by Union minister Jairam Ramesh that smaller states can be administered better. Telangana leaders say they have received enough hints that the central government is indeed seized of the issue and is inclined to grant statehood to the region.
Jairam Ramesh, who toured Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradehsh on Tuesday, said it was the right time to end “administration nightmare’’ and create smaller states by splitting big states like Uttar Pardesh. The Uttar Pradesh Assembly, during the rule of Mayawati’s BSP, adopted a resolution urging the Centre to split the Indian’s biggest state into four. The resolution is pending with the Union government.
Picking up the thread and continuing the debate on smaller states, Ramesh said, “Uttar Pradesh should be divided. The magnitude of the state’s problems are very high with 200 million people, 75 districts and each district with 2.5 million people.”
Ramesh, who assessed developmental works being undertaken under the Centre’s Integrated Action Plan, said administration was not reaching the backward regions of the state, particularly eastern UP, because of its size and large population and noted that the state would overtake Indonesia’s population in 10 years.
Leaders of the TRS and other parties from Telangana said Jairam Ramesh’s remarks were significant as he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh and knew well about the Telangana demand and sentiment. He echoed the Telangana leaders’ argument that smaller states ensured better administration.
TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, who is confident of creation of Telangana state, said 14 new districts would be formed in separate Telangana state.
The BJP too argues that administrative convenience is at the root of the demand for state’s bifurcation. It recalls formation of mandals in place of talukas, as part of administrative reforms, by the TDP government headed by NTR and the party should therefore support the demand for state’s bifurcation.
Meanwhile, Telugu Desam is closely observing the developments and its chief N Chandrababu Naidu has announced that his party is ready to provide clarity on its stance on Telangana. Telangana TDP Forum convener and MLA E.Dayakar Rao said the TDP chief decided to submit a fresh letter to the Union government very soon stating his party’s stance on Telangana following Union home minister P Chidambaram’s repeated request.
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