'Telangana' is decades old issue : Jairam Ramesh

Union Minister for Rural Development and member of Group of Ministers (GoM) Jairam Ramesh said that the issue of separate state of Telangana was decades old. 

Speaking to the reporters in Guntur on Tuesday, he said that Congress party stood first in protecting the interests of the people in Seemandhra region.

He clarified that Congress supported the bifurcation not to get some benefit in 2014 elections. 

The minister said that the Congress party had protected the interests of Seemandhra people too while granting the new state of Telangana.

“Hyderabad issue taught us a lesson. Development should not be concentrated only in one place.  There are so many places in Seemandhra region,  eligible to become its capital," said Ramesh.

The minister said that an expert committee would be formed soon to finalize the new capital for Seemandhra state. 

“The development in Seemandhra state will be decentralized. The expert committee will consider the matter of building the capital, assembly and other establishments at different places,” said the minister.

- Sakshipost