Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Thursday said his government was providing all information that the Centre was seeking in its efforts to resolve the Telangana tangle.
Replying to a question at a news conference here, he said: “My recommendation to the Centre in my recent visit to Delhi was: Resolve the issue as quickly as possible,” he said, declining to reveal details of what had transpired between him and the senior leaders of the party including party president Sonia Gandhi.
He, however said: “The state government is providing information that the Centre is seeking to resolve the issue.” He declined to comment whether the Centre was thinking on the lines of creation of a Territorial Council for Telangana or has some other plan for it.
When pointed out that there were reports that the Centre was veering round to creation of Territorial Council, he said: “It is all mere speculation.’’
The chief minister, who held a review meeting with all his ministers at his camp office on the outcome of the cooperative elections, was elated over the Congress cornering more than half of the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Credit Societies (PACs) in the state, said that it was indicative of the fact that the farmers had reposed faith in the party. “We will work hard for the welfare of the farmers in future too,” he said.
Seeming elated about Congress’ victory in recent elections to co-operative bodies in the state, he claimed the party was ready to face general elections any time. On the long-pending elections to urban local bodies and panchayat raj institutions, the chief minister said they were trying to conduct the polls as early as possible by overcoming legal hurdles. “I am also keen on seeing how the parties that are boasting that they would sweep elections would fare in the civic polls,’’ he said.
Asked if the Congress would have alliances in the election of president and vice-president of district cooperative central banks, he said there would be no such alliances at the state-level. “Depending on the need, there might be alliances with other parties which have affinity with the Congress at the district-level,” he clarified.
Asked if the resignations of MLAs would be accepted and in the event of their acceptance how would he be able save his government, Kiran Kumar Reddy said that he foresaw no problem. “In the first place, it is the speaker who has to take a decision on the issue. Even if they are accepted and elections are held, we are ready,” he said.
However, he ruled out announcing a loan waiver scheme for farmers. “It is not practical. It will not happen,” he said.
He said that in the current year, farmers in the state were disbursed loans to the tune of Rs 52,000 crore including Rs 42,000 crore crop loans. The amount would increase next year.