Hyderabad, February 20
In the backdrop of raging Telangana movement, the Andhra Pradesh government today proposed to create a special fund for tackling regional imbalances, a factor that forms the core of the demand for separate state.
While presenting the tax-free annual budget for 2010-11 in the state Assembly, the Chief Minister K Rosaiah, who also holds finance portfolio, announced creation of the fund for addressing the issue of regional imbalances.
An amount of Rs 383 crore has been earmarked for the year in
the budget.
The announcement assumes significance as supporters of separate Telangana state have been contending that the region had suffered deliberate neglect by successive governments in all sectors of development.
In another loaded comment, the Chief Minister said the issue of accommodating a leader from Telangana as the state’s Deputy Chief Minister could be “looked into at a later stage.”
"Such things can be looked into in a calm and peaceful atmosphere," Rosaiah said while responding to Majlsi Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi's demand for making a Telangana leader the Deputy CM in the wake of the ongoing statehood agitation.According to the Gentlemen Agreement signed at the time of formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956, by merging the Telugu-speaking areas of the erstwhile Hyderabad state with the rest of Andhra, the post of Deputy Chief Minister be given to a leader from Telangana region. However, it was never implemented by successive governments.
Some argue that creation of Deputy CM’s post for accommodating a Telangana leader could help in assuaging the hurt feelings of the region.
