Dr Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s statement on separate statehood for Telangana on February 12, 2009:

This is the text of Chief Minister Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s statement in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on the issue pertaining to separate statehood for Telangana on February 12, 2009:
The demand for the formation of a separate Telangana State is a highly emotive issue and one which is close to my heart and that of the Congress.
The Congress always respected the sentiment of Telangana people and its stand on the demand for a separate Telangana State was clear from the beginning.
We have never in the past deceived anyone on this issue nor will we do in the future. Right from the beginning, we were for the constitution of Second States Reorganisation Commission to go into this issue.
The previous Telugu Desam Party (TDP)government had completely neglected the region’s development. Then the Congress leaders from the region raised the issue of separate Telangana because of the negligence.
The Congress legislators from Telangana met Congress president Sonia Gandhi after the 1999 Assembly elections and expressed their concern that the TDP government will not be able to deliver development of Telangana in an integrated Andhra Pradesh. The matter was taken up with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, which rejected outright the request for the constitution of the Second SRC.
It was once again based upon the request from the Congress MLAs and leaders from Telangana and based on the resolution of Congress Working Committee adopted in 2001, the State Congress election manifesto of 2004 stated, and I quote “….there are many valid reasons for formation of separate States in Vidarbha and Telangana. However, the reorganisation of existing States raises a large number of issues.
The Congress feels that the whole matter could be best addressed by another States Reorganisation Commission to look into all the issues involved.”
The State Congress manifesto for the 2004 Legislative Assembly elections clearly brought out the concern and the importance it attaches to the Telangana issue.
I quote “The Congress recognises the growing emotions and aspirations of the people of Telangana region.”
The Common Minimum Programme of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government also echoed the sentiments of the people of Telangana in its categorical statement, “The UPA government will consider the demand for the formation of a Telangana State at an appropriate time after due consultations and consensus.”
The UPA government took up the issue of Telangana and constituted a committee headed by Pranab Kumar Mukherjee, which strived to arrive at a consensus on the formation of a separate Telangana State.
However, consensus could not be arrived at that point of time.
The welfare of the people of Telangana region is foremost in the agenda of my government and a number of development initiatives have been taken to address the development and growth concerns of the region.
The Government of Andhra Pradesh has no objection to the formation of Telangana State in principle and feels that the time has come to move forward decisively on this issue.
However, before taking a decision, many of the issues need to be resolved as serious concerns have been raised by the stake-holders.
The government has, therefore, decided to constitute a committee of members of both the Houses to deliberate the issues and concerns on the formation of Telangana and further steps could be taken after the report from the Joint Committee of Members from both the Houses is submitted to the government.