M A I N   N E W S

Telangana to become a reality today
K Chandrasekhar Rao, Telangana Rashtra Samithi founder president, to take oath as first CM of 29th state
Suresh Dharur
Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, June 1
It is celebration time in Telangana. The region, comprising 10 districts, including Hyderabad, is bracing for its tryst with destiny as the 29th state of India. Carved out of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana will come into existence as a new state on June 2.

The logo of the newly formed state of Telangana at the parade ground ahead of the celebrations called by TRS, in Secundarabad on Sunday. PTI

Founder president of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) K Chandrasekhar Rao, widely seen as the architect of the statehood movement, will be sworn in as the first Chief Minister of the new state tomorrow at Raj Bhavan here. After leading the agitation for 13 years, the TRS earned the public mandate in the recent elections, bagging 63 seats in the 119-member Telangana Assembly.

Massive celebrations have been planned to mark the event. The city is already swathed in pink, the colour of the TRS. All major roads are dotted with pink flags, banners and buntings. Huge cut-outs of KCR, as the TRS chief is known in political circles, and other prominent Telangana leaders have been erected at vantage points.

Gun Park near the State Assembly is abuzz with activity. People from across the region are thronging the Martyrs’ Pylon to pay tributes to those who laid down their lives for the statehood cause.

People representing several walks of life - employees, journalists, poets, writers and activists of political parties - have lined up meetings in the evening in different parts of the city. Activists of the TRS have made arrangements for a mega spectacle that includes fireworks and musical shows across the state.

At the stroke midnight today, the city will erupt into celebration with firecrackers going off at 120 select places and DJs conducting special musical programmes.

KCR is set to take oath at 8.15 am tomorrow. The cut-outs of the 60 year old TRS chief have sprung up at every street corner and main junction in the city. The official song of Telangana ‘Jaya jaya he Telangana’ will be played out in all the main junctions of the city at midnight. All government buildings and historical monuments including the iconic Charminar, Golconda Fort, State Assembly and Secretariat have been brightly lit up in various hues for the occasion. The main celebrations would be on Necklace Road and Tank Bund surrounding the Hussain Sagar Lake which divides the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

Sources in the TRS said arrangements had been made to distribute Hyderabadi ‘biryani,’ the culinary specialty of the capital which has tickled the palates of foodies across the globe, and sweets to people participating in the celebrations. A hotel in the city specialising in Hyderabadi ‘biryani’ has bagged the order and will make special packets for the occasion.

At 6.15 am on June 2, ESL Narasimhan, who was the Governor of the undivided Andhra Pradesh, will be sworn in as the Governor of Telangana. At 8.15 am, he will administer the oath of office and secrecy to KCR at the Raj Bhavan. The size of the state Cabinet is likely to be restricted to 10 to 12 ministers for now.

KCR’s son K T Rama Rao, nephew T Harish Rao, senior party legislators Eetala Rajender and Pocharam Srinivas Reddy besides Konda Surekha are likely to be inducted into the cabinet while party MLC Mohd Mahmood Ali is tipped to become the deputy chief minister following KCR’s assurance that a leader from the minority community would get the post.

The TRS chief will begin his day by paying tributes to Telangana martyrs at Gun Park opposite the state Assembly before the swearing-in ceremony. After the Raj Bhavan function, KCR will proceed to Parade Grounds in Secunderabad where he will unfurl the national flag and deliver his speech as the first Chief Minister of Telangana. He will then enter the Telangana Secretariat and hold the first Cabinet meeting where he will also sign the first file pertaining to the official logo of the new state.

Meanwhile, President’s rule which was imposed in undivided Andhra Pradesh on March 1 following the resignation of N Kiran Kumar Reddy from the Chief Minister’s post, will be revoked tomorrow to facilitate the government formation by the TRS. The Central rule will, however, continue in the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh since the Chief Minister-designate N Chandrababu Naidu will be sworn in on June 8.

The Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Bill was passed by Parliament in February this year and the bifurcation notification was issued on March 1 after the Presidential assent. As per the Act, Hyderabad will serve as the common capital for Telangana and residuary Andhra Pradesh states for 10 years before becoming the permanent capital of Telangana.

Celebration time

* Hyderabad swathed in pink, the colour of the TRS

* KCR will take oath as the first CM of Telangana at 8.15 am on Monday

* The official song of Telangana 'Jaya jaya he Telangana' will be played out at major junctions of the city at midnight

* Charminar, Golconda Fort, state Assembly and Secretariat have been illuminated

* At 6.15 am on Monday, ESL Narasimhan will be sworn in as the Governor of Telangana

* The Cabinet is likely to be limited to 10 to 12 ministers