Task force to study steel plant assurances to Telangana, Andhra Pradesh: Union Minister Rajnath Singh

90 per cent of assurances given in Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act fulfilled, Union minister Rajnath Singh told Rajya Sabha.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. (Photo | PTI)
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. (Photo | PTI)

HYDERABAD: The central government has constituted a task force to look into the assurances given on establishment of steel factories in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Union home minister Rajnath Singh has said.

Replying to a short-duration discussion in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday the on “provisions of Andhra Pradesh Re-organisation Act (APRA), 2014”, he said that the central government was committed to implementing all the assurances the Act contained.

Singh claimed that the Centre fulfilled 90 per cent assurances given in the APRA and said the government was committed to implementing the remaining 10 per cent of assurances too.  All the assurances given by the then prime minister Manmohan Singh and present prime minister Narendra Modi would be implemented without fail, he assured and clarified that the seven mandals of Telangana were merged with Andhra Pradesh to facilitate construction of Polavaram irrigation project in AP.  

TRS member K Keshava Rao demanded that all the assurances given in APRA should be implemented. TS suffered a lot due to non-implementation of the Act. “When the assurances were not fulfilled, what was the use of the Act?” he asked and recalled that the Centre merged seven mandals from Telangana with Andhra Pradesh by an ordinance. Because of this merger, TS lost the Sileru hydel power plant. Whenever the TRS wanted to know about the bifurcation of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, the Union law minister would laugh it off, Keshava Rao said.

Another Telangana Rashtra Samithi member Banda Prakash requested the central government not to ignore the backward Telangana while implementing the APRA. He alleged that the Centre did not give a single rupee though Niti Aayog recommended release of funds for Mission Kakatiya and Mission Bhagiratha, the two flagship schemes of the Telangana government. The Centre should release funds at least now, the pink party member demanded.

TS too should get SCS: Harish Rao

Sangareddy: Meanwhile, speaking in Sangareddy, irrigation minister T Harish Rao demanded that if the special category status was accorded to Andhra Pradesh, the same should be given to Telangana too. “If AP alone is given the special category status, then industries will be moved to AP, rendering injustice to  TS,” he said and hoped that the Centre would not create problems for TS. “Do the Telangana Congress leaders support SC status for AP at the cost of TS?” he asked.

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