Hyderabad: People including elected representatives from villages spread over five Legislative Assembly Segments from the Telangana bordering Nanded district In Maharashtra are on an agitational mood demanding their State government, to either implement the welfare schemes of the Telangana State in their villages also or allow their villages to be merged with the Telangana State.
The people and elected representatives affiliated to several political parties have also decided to contest the forthcoming Assembly polls with this demand. They informed the same to Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao whom they met on Tuesday afternoon, and sought his support for their agitation.
They said they are ready to contest on the TRS party tickets if allotted. Leaders from Nalgaon, Bhokar, Degloor, Kinwat and Hathgaon Assembly segments in Nanded district in Maharashtra State bordering Telangana have met the CM in the Legislative Assembly premises.
Under the leadership of Babli Sarpanch Sri Babu Rao Ganapath Rao Kadam, who led the movement to merge the villages with the Telangana State, the leaders have expressed their anguish to KCR.
“Our villages are bordering the Telangana State villages. But the situation in our villages and in the Telangana State when compared are vast different and variant. People and farmers in the Telangana State villages bordering us are very happy while we are in distress. For farmers in Telangana state, each one is getting Rs 10,000 financial assistance per acre per year under the Rythu Bandhu Scheme.
Our government is not implementing any scheme like this to our farmers. The poor people in Telangana State are getting Rs 2016 per month as pension whereas in Maharashtra they are getting meagre Rs 600 only. In the Telangana State farmers are getting 24-hour uninterrupted free and quality power. In our state we are promised 8-hours power supply but in reality, we are getting only 6 hours.
There are matrimonial alliances between the Telangana State and Maharashtra State among the people. In the Telangana state, schemes like Kalyan Laxmi, KCR Kits, and clothes distribution during the festivals are helping the women folk immensely. While in Maharashtra there are no such schemes. Roads are very good in Telangana State and they are in a sordid state in our State,” they told the CM.
“We are facing dire straits with regard to water for irrigation. There is no water in Babli village itself! When Telangana government fills up SRSP through water from the Kaleswaram Project, we get some benefit through the backwaters, “the leaders from Nanded district explained.
Though the villages are geographically placed next to each other there is a vast difference in villages in Telangana State and in Maharashtra State. They said that in the past, 40 villages in the Dharmabad Taluk have passed a resolution demanding their villages’ merger with the Telangana state.
Responding to the resolution, the Maharashtra Government then declared Rs 40 Crore grant for these villages and stated that they would be releasing Rs 12 Crore immediately. But till date not even a single Rupee was released, the leaders said.
“Against this backdrop, we are demanding the Maharashtra State government to implement the welfare schemes being implemented by the Telangana State. In case if the Maharashtra State government is not in a position to do, we are demanding merger of our villages into Telangana State. We will agitate with this demand.
We will contest the coming Assembly polls with this slogan. If KCR gives us an opportunity, we will contest on the TRS tickets, “they declared.
The leaders from Nanded further clarified that under the then Nizam rule they were very much part of the Hyderabad State. Till date their land records verified based on the Khasra Pahanis and they also celebrate Bathukamma Bonalu festivals in their villages even today.
Since they have long and historic relationship with people in Telangana since ages, their demand for merger with the Telangana State is rational. They said very soon they will come with leaders from Congress, BJP, Shiv Sena, NCP will here and will meet CM KCR.
The CM said besides people from five Assembly segments from Nanded district, people are also asking for the TRS tickets from Bhiwandi, Sholapur, and Rajara.
He said a decision would be taken on this shortly. The CM said that the demand for the implementation of welfare schemes like in the Telangana state is rational and hoped that the Maharashtra government would accede to the demand. (INN)