Union Health Minister and In-charge of State Congress Affairs Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday categorically ruled out the possibilities of Centre resolving the Telangana issue in near future.
Talking to reporters at the Greater Hyderabad Congress Committee’s office at MJ Market Road here, Azad admitted that Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao met several leaders in New Delhi and gave his suggestions to resolve the Telangana issue. However, he said that his suggestions were still being studied by the Congress High Command and a decision would be taken later. He reiterated that the Centre has neither taken any decision on Telangana nor it has given any assurance to any leader or organisation on the issue.
Accepting that Telangana was a serious issue, Azad said that there were at least eight similar demands for creation of smaller States across the country. They include large States like Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. However, he said that the Centre would be required to take a balanced decision with regard to demands for statehood while keeping in view their implications. Therefore, there was no possibility of immediate decision on the Telangana issue, he said.
Speaking about the Dengue cases, Azad said that the issue was thoroughly discussed during the Health Ministers’ Conference at Chennai on Friday. He said all the State have been asked to submit their requirements and the Centre was ready to provide all assistance to prevent and control the outbreak of Dengue and other viral diseases across the country.