The Group of Ministers on Telangana will meet in the first week of February to decide on Centre’s next course of action after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy sought extension of the deadline for discussing and returning the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill.
The GoM, set up to look into the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, is likely to meet on February 4 to articulate the government’s view for recommending to President Pranab Mukherjee the next course of action, official sources said.
The GoM is headed by Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde.
The move comes after the Chief Minister on Tuesday wrote to the President seeking extension of the January 30 deadline during which the Andhra Pradesh Assembly will have to discuss and return the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill to the Central government with or without its view.
However, experts are of the opinion that whatever the Assembly does, Parliament can go ahead with its legislative process for creation of the new state.
The President initially gave time till January 23 to the state Legislature to discuss the Bill and return it but subsequently extended the deadline till January 30 after the Andhra Pradesh government sought four weeks extension.
There is no immediate indication what would be the GoM’s next course of action as the government has already declared its intention to table the Telangana bill in the coming session of Parliament beginning February 5.
“We are clear in our mind that the Telangana bill will be brought in this session of Parliament. It is a commitment we have made,” Mr. Shinde had said.
Parliament session commences on February five and is scheduled to end on February 21. This will be the last session of Parliament before the tenure of the UPA-II comes to an end.
The Union Cabinet had on December 5 given the go-ahead for the creation of a 10-district Telangana and outlined the blueprint for carving out the country’s 29th state.
Telangana will comprise 10 districts and the rest of Andhra Pradesh will consist of 13 districts. Hyderabad will remain the common capital for both the states for a period not exceeding 10 years.