Centre has an open mind on Telangana

New Delhi: High level consultations on the Telangana problem were resumed in the capital today with the return of the Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi, from her goodwill visit to Afghanistan.

The home minister, Mr Y.B. Chavan, met the Prime Minister this evening and reported to her on his mission to Hyderabad over the weekend. Mr Chavan is believed to have conveyed to the Prime Minister details of his talks with the Telangana Praja Samiti leaders who are demanding a separate state as well as his discussions with the state chief minister Mr Brahmananda Reddy and his Cabinet colleagues.

The home minister is also understood to have given his overall assessment of the situation in Telangana, both administrative and political.

The two Central leaders are believed to have decided to keep the solution “open”.

Mrs Indira Gandhi and Mr Chavan discussed the issue for more than an hour. All India Congress Committee general secretary Sadiq Ali also met Mr Chavan.

In line with the assurance given by Mr Chavan after his two-day talks with Telangana leaders in Hyderabad that all aspects of the matter would be considered by the Central Government and that normal conditions should return, the Central leaders are watching the situation.

According to political observers, while the Central Government wanted the earliest restoration of normalcy, it was increasingly being recognised that the grievances, at least the economic ones, of the people in Telangana are real.