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Hyderabad
An off-the-cuff comment made by Telangana Rashtra Samithi working president and state industries and municipal administration minister K T Rama Rao on the bad condition of roads and power cuts in the “neighbouring state” triggered protests from the ruling YSR Congress party in Andhra Pradesh on Friday.
Inaugurating a property show of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI), Telangana chapter, KTR sought to compare Telangana with the “neighbouring state,” without directly taking the name of Andhra Pradesh.
The Telangana minister said there was a huge difference between Telangana and the neighbouring state in terms of development. “Hyderabad is the best city. Industrialisation has been going on rapidly in Telangana. The management of roads is the best and there are no power problems. There is virtually no corruption in any department,” he said.
On the other hand, KTR said, the situation in the neighbouring state was pretty bad. “A friend of mine from the neighbouring state staying in Hyderabad had visited his village for the Sankranti festival. He told me there is no proper power supply and water supply, and roads are badly damaged. He said he could not stay there even for three days and heaved a sigh of relief after returning to Hyderabad,” KTR said.
The minister further said his friend suggested that people from Telangana should be sent in batches to spend some time in the neighbouring state. “When they come back, they will realise what a good life they have been leading in Telangana all these days,” he said.
He also pointed out that one had to shell down money for every work in that state. “I am not exaggerating. You can go there and find it for yourself,” he said, adding that there was no such a situation in Telangana.
KTR’s comments evoked protests from the ruling YSRC in Andhra Pradesh. Condemning his comments, senior YSRC leader and advisor to state government on public affairs Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said there was no need for the Telangana minister to comment on Andhra Pradesh, which was still suffering from the pangs of bifurcation.
“He should remember that Hyderabad was developed during the period of late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy in the combined Andhra Pradesh regime. There are bad roads and power cuts even in Telangana till recently. People of Andhra are happy with the Jagan Mohan Reddy government and the Telangana government has no business to make such comments,” he said.
Demanding that KTR withdraw his comments, Andhra education minister Botsa Satyanarayana said he, too, had faced power cuts for two days during his recent stay in Hyderabad. “It is better KTR confine himself to his state,” he said.
Another senior YSRC leader from Vijayawada Malladi Vishnu said Hyderabad was developed with the sweat and blood of Andhra people and KTR cannot claim credit for the same. “It was Andhra people who developed Telangana with their investments. KTR should come to Vijayawada to see the progress and development in AP,” he said.
Andhra IT and industries minister Gudivada Amarnath and power minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy also condemned the Telangana minister’s comments.
Reacting to the YSRC leaders’ criticism, TRS MP from Chevella Ranjith Reddy said there were no power cuts in Telangana and the Andhra minister might have faced power disruption because of non-payment of bills. “Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy’s family lives in Hyderabad and it can give feedback on the power supply situation in Hyderabad,” Reddy said.
Meanwhile, TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh said the Jagan government had made Andhra Pradesh a ‘laughing stock’ in the eyes of the neighbouring states. He alleged that the YSRC regime had destroyed the state in the past three years.
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