Announce time frame for T: Kesava Rao to Centre

Reminding the High Command that it had promised a separate Telangana ‘years ago,’ Congress Legislators from Telangana on Wednesday demanded that the Centre announce a time frame for the creation of the new state.

Rajya Sabha Member K Kesava Rao, who had submitted his resignation along with other party MPs, MLAs and MLCs on the separate statehood issue, told media persons here that the Centre must fix a time frame to diffuse the situation and keep its promise on Telangana.

“Set a time frame. It can be six months, three months or even two months, but it should be set so that the process of formation of a separate Telangana state can be completed,” Mr Kesava Rao said.

It may be mentioned here that in his famous December 9, 2009 statement Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had said that the “Process of formation of a separate Telangana state has begun.

"The process of separate Telangana was started by Mr Chidambaram’s statement. We want that process to conclude and Telangana formed,” the senior leader stated adding that both the Centre and the Congress were under ‘moral pressure’ to fulfil the demand of the people of the region.

“The Centre must fulfil its promise. The promise is not a new one, it was made almost eight years ago. That promise was reiterated by the party 12 times during this period,” Mr Kesava Rao said.

“The Legislators are aware that the issue is complex one. The Congress Working Committee had passed a resolution agreeing in principle to the separate Telangana state, the first UPA government had included Telangana in its Common Minimum Programme and the President had referred to the state formation in the Address in 2004,” Mr Kesava Rao pointed out.

The Congress party had also entered into an electoral alliance in the 2004 general elections with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and the inclusion of separate Telangana statehood in the election manifesto.

The senior leader and Rajya Sabha Member (resigned) also said that he was dismayed to hear the views of both Mr Chidambaram and party In-Charge for Andhra Pradesh Affairs Ghulam Nabi Azad that a decision cannot be taken within minutes.