Telangana For KCR

The Telangana region has been on the boil as TRS chief's condition had turned critical Wednesday, the 11th day of his fast unto death, and Hyderabad was turned into a fortress by police fearing large-scale violence during the march to assembly planned by TRS and students Thursday.
KCR, who had launched the fast in Khammam jail Nov 29 after his arrest near Karimnagar town, broke the fast at Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) here, capping the 11-day long agitation which saw students, lawyers, government employees, industrial workers and other sections of people taking to the streets demanding a separate state.

At least 25 people either committed suicide or died of shock since KCR's arrest.
In 1969, during the agitation for a separate state, 369 people, most of them students had laid down their lives.
KCR, as Chandrasekhar Rao is popularly known, thanked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani and others who supported the Telangana cause.Meeting the five-decade long demand of the region that includes Hyderabad, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government said the process for formation of Telangana state would be initiated soon.

Outside NIMS, hundreds of TRS activists, students and Telangana sympathisers celebrated the victory by bursting crackers and distributing sweets.

Chennai into a satellite city

Deputy CM M K Stalin kindled a fresh hope for transforming Chennai into a satellite city when he said on Wednesday, “I will shoulder full responsibility to ensure that the model city becomes a reality.” The minister was responding to Kanchee puram Lok Sabha member Viswanathan’s plea that the present government should make efforts to make the satellite city, proposed along the OMR.

The new city will not only help de-congest Chennai, it will also enable the, which is fast turning out to be one of the world’s prominent industrial, IT and telecommunication manufacturing hub, to attract further investments from global multinationals.

According to Census 2001, Chennai city had a population of 43.43 lakh people, while Chennai metropolitan area accounted for a population of 70.4 lakh. As per estimates, over the next 20 years, the population in Chennai city is likely to touch 58.5 lakh while that of Chennai metropolitan 1.26 crore. The present density of population is estimated at 28,125 people per sq km. This has forced Chennai to join the list of densely populated cities.

the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority has undertaken a study and surveyed 1.4 lakh acres. Of this, 30,000 acres has been tentatively identified for establishing the new city. 13,000 households live in the tentatively identified area of 270 sqkm. They will not be displaced. Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi said “The area is also bereft of any pollution even while retaining a good environment, which makes it an ideal location for establishing a new city.”

Karuna hints at retirement

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Chief M Karunanidhi has hinted at a possible retirement from active politics. He wants to devote more time to work for the poor and oppressed communities.

He said he would like to retire from politics after completing some of his "important ambitions, including successful conduct of the International Classical Tamil Conference in June next year". 85-year-old Karunanidhi has already made his son M K Stalin the Deputy chief minister and he could be the claimant to the top job in Tamil Nadu.

He said his remaining ambitions include completion of the under-construction new secretariat building and the establishment of Anna Centenary Library at Kotturpuram.

The International Classical Tamil Conference is scheduled to be held in Coimbatore next year, after which Karunanidhi said he would "come closer to the people and make myself one among you".