There is no timeline to solve Telangana, says Kiran

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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy refused to put a timeline to resolve the Telangana imbroglio.

“It is a democratic country, not a dictatorship... so a decision will be announced after talking to all concerned,” said Mr Reddy, adding, “the decision is not in my hands. The Centre should take a decision and I think they have already started negotiations in this regard.”

Talking to a few selected members of the media at his Camp Office in the evening, the Chief Minister said the five-decade-old demand for statehood “is a delicate and sensitive issue involving complexities and the Centre has started negotiations to arrive at a consensus”.

Asked how long the Centre would delay an announcement by citing “negotiations” and “consensus”, Mr Reddy said, “If it was an easy issue they would have made an announcement by now. Since it is complex and sensitive, the Centre is talking to everyone.”

He admitted that the Telangana issue was discussed during his meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi when he was in New Delhi earlier in the week. “The Centre reacted to demands for a separate state in 1969 and 1972. But the T-demand surfaced again recently and I hope the Centre will soon make an announcement,” he added.

Filling posts first priority: Kiran

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy said that the state Cabinet reshuffle would be taken up in due course. He was replying to a specific question on the state Cabinet reshuffle while talking to a few selected members of the media in his Camp Office on Saturday evening.

Mr Reddy said his first priority was to fill up nominated posts in government-owned corporations in the next few days.

Referring to the power crisis, he said that several steps had been taken to ease the crisis. He pointed out that Rs 300 crore was being spent every month to purchase power from outside.

He hoped that the Centre would consider his proposals for swapping KG Basin gas with RLNG supplies so that more gas would be available for state-run power units.