Govt. ToR on Telangana upsets TRS

Friday, February 12, 2010 03:29:25 PM, Agencies

New Delhi: The Centre on Friday announced the terms of reference (ToR) for the Telangana committee, saying the panel will examine both the demands for a separate state of Telangana as well as a united Andhra Pradesh but TRS reacted angrily terming it as a betrayal.

The seven-point terms of reference mandated the committee headed by Justice (retd) B N Srikrishna to review the developments in Andhra Pradesh since its formation and their impact on the progress and development of the different regions of the state.

It will "examine the situation in the state of Andhra Pradesh with reference to the demand for a separate state of Telangana as well as the demand for maintaining the present status of a united Andhra Pradesh," the TOR said.It has been asked to submit its report by December 31 this year.

In Hyderabad, TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, who has been spearheading the Telangana agitation, said, "The Centre has betrayed us once again".He directed all his party MPs, MLAs and MLCs to resign from their posts immediately in protest against the "betrayal".

Both Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, who were at a function together, said they would react after studying the ToR.

However, TDP politburo member K Yerrannaidu felt the Centre should have also included the demands for other smaller states in the country in the Sri Krishna Committee’s ToR. Praja Rajyam Party MLA from Nirmal in Adilabad also decided to resign from his post protesting the ToR.

The panel, constituted on February 3, will examine the impact of the recent developments in the state on the different sections of the people such as women, children, students, minorities, other backward classes, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.

The committee includes Ranbir Singh, Abusaleh Shariff, Ravinder Kaur and former home secretary Vinod K Duggal as member-secretary.

The terms of reference said the committee will "identify the key issues that must be addressed while considering the matter".

It said the panel "will consult all sections of the people, especially the political parties, on the aforesaid matters and elicit their views; to seek from the political parties and other organisations a range of solutions that would resolve the present difficult situation and promote the welfare of all sections of the people; to identify the optimal solutions for this purpose; and to recommend a plan of action and a road map".

The committee will consult other organisations of civil society such as industry, trade, trade unions, farmers' organisations, women's organisations and students' bodies on the specified matters and elicit their views with specific reference to the all round development of the different regions of the state and make any other suggestion or recommendation that the Committee may deem appropriate, the ToR said.

While announcing the committee, government had said that it would hold wide-ranging consultations with all sections of people and different political parties and groups on "the situation in Andhra Pradesh".

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