CCSAP Report - Ministry of Home Affairs

Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy of the Congress Party for long periods, aided by a
strong political machinery for governance while at the same time continuing to
champion the cause of Telugu unity, helped in keeping the demand for a
separate Telangana dormant or at best in a subdued state. One of the points of
view expressed before the Committee was that, with none of these powerful
leaders belonging to Telangana region, the policies of the successive
Governments, since 1982, were not generally in favour of equitable development
of Telangana. In this context, accusations were made that, during this period,
large areas of resourceful land, including wakf lands in and around Hyderabad,
were acquired at much cheaper prices for and by “outsiders” (persons not
belonging to Telangana region) at a great advantage to them ignoring the
interest of the locals. Although the industrial and economic developmental base
that was created by these “outsiders”, using these lands, contributed to general
economic and industrial growth and incidental employment benefits, the higher-
end dividends in terms of incomes and jobs and other similar avenues in these
attractive efforts were taken away again by the “outsiders”, leaving the locals
with lower-end jobs and less attractive opportunities. It has been represented
before the Committee that the unified state of Andhra Pradesh was maintained
more through financial and political machinations than by giving equal and
equitable opportunities to Telangana region and its people. All these aspects
covering the political space, economic and other developmental issues including
those related to land use and employment are dealt with extensively in the
subsequent Chapters.
1.3.06 In the meanwhile, the economic development and urbanization of
the city of Hyderabad, particularly in the aftermath of the Six Point Formula,
became a contentious issue. While there was no dispute that the city had
developed enormously during the post 1975 period, Telangana protagonists
contended that the urban development in Hyderabad was disproportionate and
skewed in favour of the needs of the migrants and sacrificed the principles of
social and economic equity. It was stressed that its economic strength had
declined because of the down-turn in the growth of industrial activities such as,
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