(Image source from: Telangana Indias 29th state formed at midnight})

Telangana has become a reality. At midnight (from 00:01 hours) of June 2, Telangana officially became the 29th state of India. Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao has been sworn in as the first Chief Minister of the new state in India.

The newly formed state will celebrate June 2 as Telangana Formation Day.

For KCR (as K Chandrasekhar Rao is popularly known) the formation of Telangana state marks the end of a long journey that had started in 2001. That year KCR had rebelled against N Chandrababu Naidu, (then chief minister of Andhra Pradesh), a rebellion that reinitiated the separate statehood movement and culminated with the formation of India's 29th state.

After 13 long years of  struggle, planning, agitations, suicides and dharnas, KCR was able to successfully lead the movement to achieve the goal of a separate statehood.

The bureaucracy, which worked overtime, ensured timely division of assets, liabilities, systems, institutions, employees, projects for a smooth transition from a united Andhra Pradesh to two states – Telangana and Seemandhra. Now the two states have their own set of chief secretaries and two new directors-general of police.

Even the administrative division is almost complete. To enable a glitch-free transition for both the states the state secretariat and several government offices have been divided. Even employees have been sent circulars as to which state they would represent.

Now that KCR has become the chief minister, it's time to start fulfilling the promises he made in the election manifesto.

KCR will have to raise salaries of  Telangana government employees, to make it at par with the Central Government staffs; bring 12 % reservation for minorities, build ‘gated communities’ in 120-sq yard sites for weaker sections, waive off farm loans up to Rs 1 lakh and fulfill other promises he made in the next five years.

Above all, he has to ensure peace and amity among people in the state, business continuity in Hyderabad and to resolve all issues with its neighbour Andhra Pradesh amicably. The last would require diplomacy as KCR and Chandrababu Naidu ( CM designate of Andhra Pradesh) have serious political acrimony.

(Picture Source: ndtv.com)
(AW: Pratima Tigga)