Ponguleti warns of financial emergency, seeks early decision on T

Revealing that the state is losing around Rs 800 crore per day due to the noncooperation agitation, All India Congress Committee secretary Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy on Sunday called on the Centre to take an early decision on the separate Telangana statehood demand.

Speaking to media persons outside the residence of his senior party colleague K Keshav Rao, Mr Sudhakar Reddy said that if the noncooperation agitation continues for long, the state would witness a Financial Emergency soon.

Seeking to turn the tables on the opposition for their caustic comments against the Congress Legislators that they were not able to meet AICC president Sonia Gandhi nor Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during their visit to New Delhi to press the High Command on the separate statehood issue, Mr Sudhakar Reddy said that parties like the Telugu Desam Party should first make its stand clear on the issue before pointing fingers at the Congress.

He said that Mr Nagam Janardhan Reddy has been making snide remarks against the Congress MLAs and MLCs for their ‘failure’ to get an appointment with Ms Gandhi and the Prime Minister during their trip. Mr Sudhakar Reddy pointed out that the Congress Legislators’ trip was successful since they had highlighted the intensity of the Telangana demand to the High Command.

This, he said, was a positive step, unlike the other pro-Telangana activists who had been raising the issue at a local level, instead of raising the issue before the proper fora.

The AICC secretary further said that Mr Janardhan Reddy had not been able to convince his party president N Chandrababu Naidu to declare a clear stand on the Telangana issue, but has taken to making caustic comments on the Congress leaders.

Referring to the fee reimbursement issue, Mr Sudhakar Reddy said that arrears of around Rs 2,400 crore existed even during the time of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy. He said that the government had, at that time worked hard to ensure that students do not suffer for want of fund and the government is continuing its commitment even today.

Lashing out at Kadapa leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy, Mr Sudhakar Reddy said that the former MP’s father YS Rajasekhara Reddy was a member of the Congress party right till his demise, but the son has deserted the party of his father’s choice.