Cabinet nod to Telangana: Chiranjeevi resigns, Pallam Raju offers to quit

Union Tourism Minister K. Chiranjeevi has resigned from his post in protest against the Union Cabinet's approval of the formation of a separate Telangana state.

According to reports, an upset Chiranjeevi, who hails from Coastal Andhra, faxed his resignation to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) last night.

The actor-turned-politician, who is expected to meet Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today to vent his apprehension over the decision, has quit his post to mount pressure on the Congress leadership towards halting the division of Andhra Pradesh.

Three other Union Ministers M.M. Pallam Raju, K S Rao and Surya Prakash Reddy have also offered to resign.

The Union Cabinet yesterday approved the creation of a new state of Telangana by bifurcating the existing state of Andhra Pradesh.

The city of Hyderabad will function as the common capital for both the States for a period of ten years. The Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of a Group of Ministers (GoM) to work out the various legal and administrative measures to ensure the safety and security of the residents of all the regions of the State including the guarantee of the Fundamental Rights.

The Union Cabinet further approved that the GoM will go into the various issues which concern both the States and suggest appropriate measures to address them.

The GoM will also work out the modalities for the provision of special financial disbursements required for the setting up of a new capital for the residuary State of Andhra Pradesh and to meet the special needs of the backward regions and districts of the two States.