Hyderabad: Notwithstanding the protests in Telangana and elsewhere, the Group of Ministers has finalised its report recommending a Rayala Telangana state comprising 10 districts of Telangana and Kurnool and Anantapur of Rayalaseema region.
The GoM’s report, along with the Telangana Bill, will be placed before the Union Cabinet on Thursday for approval.
“The GoM, which was constituted on October 3 has completed its task. The report will be submitted to the Cabinet tomorrow,” Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde told waiting newsmen at the North Block in New Delhi, after a two-hour meeting of the GoM on Wednesday.
He, however, refused to take questions on whether it would be Telangana or Rayala Telangana and left the venue.
It remains to be seen how the only Cabinet minister from Telangana — S. Jaipal Reddy — or the three Cabinet ministers from Seemandhra — M.M. Pallam Raju, Kishore Chandra Deo and Kavuri Sambasiva Rao — react to the creation of a Rayala Telangana state during Thursday’s Cabinet meeting.
The GoM reportedly approved the 69-page draft Telangana Bill and 22-page special report on the bifurcation of AP with several recommendations, including constitution of a Union Coordination Council under the Governor of the Telangana state to oversee law and order and other specified subjects for 10 years in the joint capital city of Hyderabad.
Similarly, constitution of a river water monitoring board for the two states under the chairmanship of the Union water resource minister and two top officials of Central Water Commission and two engineering-in-chiefs of two states to look into all aspects of distribution of river waters among two states, has been recommended.
Sources close to the GoM, however, contradicted the Telangana Congress leaders’ theory that the Congress Working Committee on July 30 had favoured creation of Telangana state comprising only 10 districts of the Telangana region. “The CWC’s resolution only said creation of Telangana state but nowhere was there mention of 10 or 12 districts. Even in the 11-point terms of reference that the GoM had circulated, there was no mention of 10 districts,” the source pointed out.
Next: GoM finishes T process in record time
GoM finishes T process in record time
Hyderabad: Sources close to the GoM said that there had been a demand from Kurnool and Anantapur to include the two districts in Telangana ever since the demand to bifurcate the state had begun.
Even during the Congress Core Committee meeting held last Friday, it was allegedly decided to create a Rayala Telangana state. According to a member of the GoM, the 12-district state will either be named Telangana or Rayala Telangana. If one compares the time taken to form the three separate states in 2000, the present process of bifurcation has been the fastest one.
The CWC took its decision on July 30 and on October 3, the Cabinet formally adopted the decision and constituted the GoM to complete the formalities. Within two months of its formation, the GoM completed the whole process and is now sending its report to the Cabinet. Once the Cabinet takes it decision on Thursday, the Bill will be sent to the President as per the requirement under Article 3 of statute.
It remains to be seen what time frame the President fixes for the AP Legislature (two Houses) to express its opinion. Depending on the time frame, the AP Legislature will have to sit and express its views. The Bill will then be sent back to the President who in turn will permit the Union Cabinet to introduce it in Parliament. However, it will still be difficult to take up the Telangana Bill before Parliament adjourns on December 20.
Ministers ask GoM to drop Rayala T move
All ministers belonging to the Telangana region, including Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha, have expressed serious concern over the reports that the Congress central leadership is going to create Rayala Telangana, instead of Telangana state with 10 districts as decided earlier.
They outrightly rejected the proposal and urged the party high command to drop such a proposal which they said would hurt the feelings of Telangana people. The Deputy Chief Minister wrote to Group of Ministers that Rayala Telangana is not acceptable to them and said that the Congress would be losing badly if that proposal is being pushed.
Addressing a news conference on Wednesday, Panchayat Raj minister K. Jana Reddy said there is marked difference in culture, tradition, language and slant between Rayalaseema districts Kurnool and Anantapur, and Telangana from ages. He said all the people of Telangana will not compromise on Rayala Telangana state and will oppose such a move.
He said they may visit Delhi again to appraise the situation to the high command and the mood in Telangana region against the Rayala Telangana proposal.
