Kiran Kumar Reddy urges Centre not to bifurcate Andhra

Hyderabad: Making a strong pitch yet again for keeping Andhra Pradesh united, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today urged the Centre not to carry the (proposed) bifurcation process forward without addressing people’s concern over several issues. The Chief Minister said he wants the Union government to take into consideration people’s concerns on issues like water-sharing, employment, education and Hyderabad. [caption id=“attachment_1138571” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  N Kiran Kumar Reddy. AFP[/caption] He also demanded that the Centre constitute a second States Reorganisation Commission, as committed by the Congress party in 2004, to divide AP, if at all. At a press conference here, he pointed out that though the Congress Working Committee took a decision about 60 days back to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh, the Union government was yet to come out with any answer to the concerns raised by the people. “There are many issues like sharing of river water, jobs, promotions and transfers, education… how will these be addressed? How will you go ahead?” he asked. “The Centre can’t and should not carry the bifurcation process forward without addressing the people’s concerns,” he asserted. Kiran, however, observed that these were issues that could never be addressed or resolved and hence the state’s division was not an easy task. Maintaining that he respected the CWC decision (to divide AP), the Chief Minister wanted it to “reconsider” the decision in the interest of people of the state. Kiran also said he was ready to sacrifice his post for the sake of united state and claimed he would continue to remain in the Congress in any event. PTI