AP ministers dismiss proposed T-package

Andhra Pradesh ministers from Telangana have rejected the proposed package for the region, saying only a separate state of Telangana will be acceptable to them. The talk of the Centre mulling a package for Telangana sent the ministers belonging to the Congress party in a tizzy.

Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha, who is from the region, left for New Delhi while senior minister K Janara Reddy will be leaving on Wednesday to hold talks with the Congress’s central leadership.

Party sources had indicated that the Centre was likely to announce its decision on the contentious issue by the month-end. The Congress leadership is understood to have decided not to carve out Telangana state as it may trigger similar demands in other parts of the country. It is likely to offer a package to Telangana to provide financial assistance for its development and some other assurances to the region.

Several ministers from the region outrightly rejected the proposed package. They expressed their views while talking to reporters on Wednesday.

Information and Public Relations Minister D K Aruna said statehood to Telangana alone would satisfy them, while Information Technology Minister Ponnala Laksmiaha said a package was not a solution to the problem. Reddy, who is leading the pro-Telangana leaders from the Congress party, hope that the party will take a positive decision. He said the talks of a package were mere speculations.