Kurnool :
Breaking away from tradition, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu unfurled the nation’s Tricolour at the APSP battalion in Kurnool, instead of Hyderabad, the joint capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
This is nearly after five decades that State level independence Day celebrations took place here. When Andhra State was created from Madras State, Kurnool was its Capital and I-Day was celebrated here till 1956.
Hoisting the flag, Naidu said that state level independence day would be organised in all districts by rotation so that people of all the districts would be part of the state level festivity.
Headquarters of all districts will be developed on par with capital city and he unveiled a programme of “unlimited development of Rayalaseema region.”
Naidu, recalling that the State they had inherited had a number of problems, chief among them being financial, wanted people to work hard to make the State prosper.
He said that he had fulfilled his poll promises which included loan waiver for farmers and DWCRA women, increases in pension amount to `1,000 for aged, `1,500 for the physically challenged, 24 hours power supply.
In an oblique reference to his Telangana counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao, Naidu disapproved of his style of functioning. He said that Rao was creating new problems for Andhra Pradesh after bifurcation of the State.
He said that Rao was not forthcoming to sort out problems through dialogue. “We can solve problems if we sit together an talk in a friendly ambience. If we cannot find a solution we can approach the centre and if that too does not work out, there is always legal recourse,” he said. He said that there was a need to work with a spirit of coordination and maintain good relationship with neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and including Telangana.
He said his government would stand by Telugus as they fight for their rights in neighbouring Telangana, particularly in Hyderabad.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by K Madhusudhakar / August 16th, 2014