In his maiden visit to Delhi after taking over as the first Chief Minister of Telangana, TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao today met President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During his meeting with the Prime Minister, Rao raised 14 demands for the development of Telangana and expediting implementation of the assurances made in the AP Reorganisation Act for the newly-carved out state.
Interestingly, the ordinance on transfer of seven mandals in Khammam district to Andhra Pradesh for executing Polavaram Multi-Purpose Project, which was vehemently opposed by Rao, does not figure in a release circulated to the media that contains the list of issues discussed between Rao and Modi.
According to it, Rao urged that Telangana and residuary Andhra Pradesh should be treated on par for the purpose of declaring them as "special category states".
Stressing that the new state must be extended tax incentives on par of with Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Rao underscored that it was a commitment under the AP Reorganisation Act.
Citing the development of Sabarmati River Front, Rao said Musi River Conservation Plan should be sanctioned by National River Conservation Directorate at a cost of Rs. 923 crores to Hyderabad.
The other demands include declaring Pranahita Chevella as a national project and roads in backward regions of Telangana and railway division at Kazipet.
Later, Rao also met President Mukherjee and invited him to participate in a partnership summit involving the participation of over 160 countries in Telangana.
Briefing newspersons about the two meetings, senior TRS leader Jithendra Reddy, who was one among the party MPs to have accompanied Rao, said the Chief Minister called on the President and the Prime Minister before the commencement of the assembly session of Telangana on June 9.
To questions on the ordinance on transfer of villages for Polavaram Multi-Purpose Project, Reddy said Rao would reply to all the questions at a press conference on Sunday.
