Centre should address concerns of Seemandhra, Rayalaseema: CPI

Welcomes decision on creation of Telangana

The CPI today welcomed the Centre's decision on the creation of Telangana state but said it should also assure the people of Seemandhra and Rayalaseema that their issues will get priority.

"Yesterday's decision by the central Cabinet on Telangana is in the right direction. We appreciate it and welcome it, though this is a very delayed decision. They accepted the justified demand of people of Telangana," Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary G Sudhakar Reddy told PTI.

"They have been struggling for more than 15 years. As a matter of fact it a 50-year-old demand and unfortunately a large number of people in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema are opposing it," he said.

Reddy said the Union Government should take initiative and build confidence of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema by replying to their concerns and assuring them that justice will be done to them on the issue of the capital city "and employment potential will be shared even with coastal Andhra people".

"There is some opposition. There are some genuine apprehensions about water distribution, employment potentiality, about their future in Hyderabad," said Reddy.

"This is a justified demand of the Telangana people and we appeal to the coastal Andhra NGOs, teachers, students and others sections of people to reconcile to the reality and withdraw their agitation.

"We wish that the Telugu people though politically divided into two states should continue as brothers and solidarity among them should remain unaffected," said Reddy.