Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday told two delegations from Andhra Pradesh that the decision to create Telangana state had already been taken and there was nothing he could do either to revoke the decision of the Congress working committee (CWC) or stall the process of creation of separate state.
This is the first time that the PM spoke about Telangana in so many words. Manmohan Singh, however, told the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) delegation led by honorary president Y S Vijayamma and the other group of leaders of various Samaikyandhra organisations led by APNGOs president P Ashok Babu that he was receptive to the demands raised by the Seemandhra leaders and employees while finalising the Telangana bill.
The PM, who was more open when meeting the non-political state government employees than the YSRCP delegation, said the committee the government plans to appointment would look into the issues raised by the YSRCP, government employees and students of Seemandhra region.
Emerging from the meeting with the Prime Minister, Vijayamma said he had agreed to appoint a group of ministers (GoM) to look into issues emanating from the CWC decision to divide the state. Vijayamma said she had requested Manmohan Singh to ensure that the justice was done to both regions in areas such as water, power, employment and sharing of revenues from the Hyderabad metropolitan area. “I urged the PM to maintain status quo in case justice cannot be done to Telangana and Seemandhra region,” she said.
Ashok Babu told TOI from New Delhi that the Prime Minister had expressed his inability to give any assurance on rolling back the CWC decision. He, however, assured that the recommendations of the committee that looks into issues being raised by APNGOs, RTC, power sector employees and students unions would be accommodated.
[With inputs from Times of India]