For KCR, it's time to mend fences - TeluguPeople.com News

HYDERABAD: A second trip to Delhi by Telangana State Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao appears to have broken the ice with the BJP government at the Centre, especially the personal relations between Rao and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

During his two-day visit to the national capital, Rao met the Prime Minister and other Union Ministers. The response from them was very encouraging to issues that he had raised with them, government sources told Express.

Rao called on the Prime Minister in June within one week of assuming charge as Chief Minister. At that time, Rao submitted a set of 14 memoranda to the Prime Minister. From then on, Rao did not visit Delhi. Several BJP leaders, including Bandaru Dattatreya and G Kishan Reddy, wanted Rao to meet the Prime Minister to resolve the State's issues.

Even some Union Ministers felt that all the Chief Ministers in the country had enough time to meet the Prime Minister, but the Telangana Chief Minister did not have any.

Sources in the government felt that Rao was busy in the last two months working out the schemes announced in the TRS manifesto. Later, he sought the appointment of the Prime Minister.

During his second visit, Rao submitted memoranda on as many as 21 issues to the Prime Minister seeking help from the Centre to resolve them. These included according special category status for Telangana too on a par with Andhra Pradesh.

Though there was no concrete assurance from Modi on special category status to TS, he responded in a positive manner to all the other 20 issues, specially on augmenting power supply position in Telangana.

The Prime Minister assured to set up a 4,000 MW power plant by the NTPC as mentioned in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. 'As Telangana has already allotted land, the Centre would set up 1,800 MW power plant under phase I of the project immediately' a TRS leader, who was a part of the government delegation to the PM, said.

Sources said that the Prime Minister was also impressed by the proposed 1,000 MW solar park on 500 acres in Mahbubnagar district. He assured the Chief Minister that the Centre would fund the project as part of its policy of encouraging clean energy.

The Prime Minister also agreed to divide the present High Court and to set up separate High Courts for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. 'We have informed the Prime Minister that Telangana has no objection, if Andhra Pradesh wants to run its High Court temporarily in Hyderabad. Telangana has agreed to provide the required building space,' a TRS leader said.

Modi was also in favour of setting up an electronic manufacturing hub in Telangana. The Centre also assured to allocate 100 MW additional power quota to Telangana and 400 MW more when the supply at Central Generating Stations is improved.

'The Prime Minister wanted to solve all the issues raised by the Telangana government as early as possible,' sources said. 'We are very happy and our trip is purposeful,' said secretary general of TRS and Rajya Sabha member K Keshava Rao.

As the Centre-State relations were defined in the Constitution and by the Sarkaria Commission, the TRS government is confident of getting Centre's support. The recent trip by KCR helped him develop a personal rapport with Modi and also see that crucial issues like power were resolved.