Telangana Deputy CM Bhatti wants BRS to agitate for remerger of seven mandals

Telangana Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka demands BRS to take up agitation for remerger of seven mandals transferred to Andhra Pradesh post bifurcation in 2014.

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka has demanded that the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) leaders should agitate for re-merger of seven mandals, into Telangana, that were transferred to Andhra Pradesh consequent to the bifurcation of the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh in 2014.

Responding to the remarks made by BRS leaders that merger of the seven mandals should form part of the meeting between Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in Hyderabad on July 6, Mr. Bhatti at a press conference in Gandhi Bhavan, the Congress party headquarters in Hyderabad, on Wednesday said the BRS and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alone were responsible for the transfer of the seven mandals to the neighbouring State.

Mr. Bhatti also reminded the BRS leaders that there was no mention of the seven mandals in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014. He pointed out that after BJP came to power in Centre, an ordinance was brought to transfer the seven mandals to the residuary State of Andhra Pradesh. “What happened to the words of former CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao who threatened to launch an agitation against the transfer of seven mandals,” he wondered.

To a question on the proposed Cabinet expansion, Mr. Bhatti said the final decision will be taken by the Congress party’s central leadership. The party leadership is also in the process of choosing the new TPCC chief.

The Deputy Chief Minister reiterated the Government’s commitment to issue an Job calender for the unemployed. He made light of the assertion by BRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao that his party would come back to power and rule the State for next 15 years.

Mr. Bhatti expressed anguish at the death of a farmer by suicide in Khammam district. “We are probing if someone had pushed him to a corner to such a drastic decision. If we find anyone was involved and forced the victim to end his life, he will not be spared,” he added.

The Deputy CM said the Government would shortly clear all the pending bills. He said the Rythu Bharosa sub-committee was holding consultations with all stakeholders. The report would be tabled in the monsoon session of the Legislature, he added.