Pro-Telangana ministers in Delhi, to meet Sonia

Andhra Pradesh ministers from the Telangana region, who have sent their resignation letters to Sonia Gandhi, arrived in New Delhi on Sunday to hold consultations with top leaders, and demanded that the government come out with a "time-bound programme" for the creation of a separate state.

On their arrival here this afternoon, the ministers drove straight to Union Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy's residence to hold discussions with him. Reddy also hails from Telangana region.

The leaders are expected to call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi to convey the sentiments of the people of Telangana over the December 23 statement by Home Minister P Chidambaram on the statehood issue.

"We are here to ask the Centre and the Congress party to come out with a time-bound programme for the creation of a Telangana state," Information and Tourism Minister Geeta Reddy told reporters at the airport.

The ministers will also convey to the top Congress leadership that the statement, which called for further consultations on the issue, has caused apprehensions among the people of the region that the Telangana formation has been put on hold.

Thirteen ministers from the Telangana region sent a common resignation letter to Sonia Gandhi on Friday on the Telangana issue, but only nine ministers are part of this delegation.