NO END IN SIGHT FOR THE BURNING T ISSUE - Regional council yet another ploy to suppress T movement,say leaders

Pro-Telangana leaders have dismissed the speculations over an autonomous regional council for the region,that have started doing the rounds,as yet another ploy to suppress the Tmovement.They also pointed out that it was a tried and tested formula and said that nothing short of a separate Telangana state is acceptable to the four crore people of the region. Sources said the regional council would not be the final but the first step towards finding a lasting solution to the Telangana tangle.While the proposal drew a howl of protests from T-protagonists,TRS MLA K Taraka Rama Rao questioned the rationale behind forming a separate Telangana Regional Council. What would a toothless council do to assuage the feelings of the people Its bound to be a failure, he said. Pro-Telangana leaders have expressed doubts as to what might a nominated body do to convince the Centre on the larger aspirations of the people when the views of elected representatives from the region have not been taken into account.The Centre is fooling the people yet again as the creation of a TRC was included in Act 7 of 1956 when Andhra Pradesh was formed on November 1,1956, pointed out former TRS MP B Vinod Kumar. In fact,two regional councils one for AP and the other for the erstwhile greater Punjab were included with adequate constitu-tional safeguards way back in the 60s.So,the question of a new regional council for Telangana doesnt arise, reasoned Vinod.Apart from autonomous regional councils,special packages and safeguards for administrative purposes,too,were provided. Much before Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar,a Jharkhand district autonomous council was constituted in 1994 with Shibhu Soren as chairman. Allocations were made,funds granted and special administrative powers given.There was a separate budget for the hill districts of Uttar Pradesh with a hill districts council in place before a separate Uttarakhand was formed, said Kakatiya University professor and Telangana political JAC Warangal district convenor T Papireddy. Having come this far,pro-Telangana parties and organisations are unlikely to accept the regional council;and there is the threat of them intensifying their struggle for a separate Telangana.The proposal to have three regional councils for three regions is nothing but belittling the separate T-movement, bemoaned TRS politburo member K Rajaiah Yadav. They also ridiculed the sparring over the status of Hyderabad.Shillong which was the capital of undivided Assam till 1972 was made capital of Meghalaya and Dispur became the new capital of Assam.The Seemandhra leaders concerns over losing Hyderabad is ridiculous, said Vinod. Meanwhile,Congress leaders from Telangana were tightlipped over the regional council speculations.The proposal has gained momentum with senior Congress leader D Srinivas tipped to become the first chairman of the council.

(SOURCE- TOI)

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