Tuesday, December 15, 2009

No bifurcation, please

The Central Government should not succumb to political pressure to divide the State of Andhra Pradesh. Dividing the the State would involve huge expenditure for the exchequer. The lack of development cannot be considered a valid reason for dividing a State. Equitable development across a State can be achieved only if the leadership concerned is committed to growth.

If the Centre yields to pressure groups, even in small States such as Kerala there will be more calls for division — the erstwhile Travancore and Malabar, for example, claim different cultures. Already, there is a big divide among different States on various matters. The Mullaperiyar dam issue is a case in point.

If Tamil Nadu and Kerala were a single State such a quarrel would not have surfaced.
Leaders at the Centre should have the vision to understand the ulterior motives of local politicians.

K. A. Solaman
The Business Line dated 16 Dec 2009

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