The Central government on Tuesday endorsed the decision to carve Telangana out of Andhra Pradesh as the 29th state of India after an exhaustive United Progressive Alliance and Congress Working Committee (CWC) meetings on the six-decade old row.
PM Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and other leaders during the UPA meeting on Telangana at PM’s residence in New Delhi. PTI Photo
Telangana will be formally accorded the statehood after the bill is passed in Parliament.
Announcing the decision after the CWC meeting , Congress spokesperson Ajay Maken said Hyderabad would be the joint capital of the remaining Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for 10 years.
The CWC unanimously passed a resolution for creation of Telangana state.
A special meeting of the Union Cabinet has been convened on Wednesday, apparently to discuss the issue of separate Telangana state.
Sources said a special Cabinet meeting has been convened on Wednesday morning but did not disclose the agenda.
A routine meeting of the Cabinet has been convened for Thursday.
Congress’ press conference on Telangana
What Ajay Maken said:
# Congress resolution requested govt to take steps for formation of Telangana
# Hyderabad will be the common capital of Telangana and Andhra for 10 years
# Congress decision to allow Telangana was difficult
# Resolution asks Centre to assist Andhra govt to maintain harmony in both states
What Digvijaya Singh, Congress general secretary in charge of Andhra, said:
# After 10 years, Seemandhra will have a new capital city in place
# All problems of Seemandhra will be kept in mind when we draft the legislation for formation of Telangana
# Cabinet will appoint group of ministers to address the issues of people of Andhra and Telangana
# The Govt of India will now refer the issue to state assembly of Andhra for an appropriate resolution
# Hyderabad will be the common capital of both the states for a period of 10 year
# We have kept in mind security, water issues while taking the decision on Telangana
# We have passed resolution on Telangana keeping in mind the problems that Seemandhra people might face
# We have reached decision on Telangana after much debate
# The decision on the Telangana resolution was difficult
# Andhra state assembly has to send resolution after either accepting or rejecting it
# Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha has to pass Telangana bill after which President has to pass bill
# We cannot compare Telangana to other demands for separate states. It has a different history
# Hyderabad has adequate arrangement for both the states to run their affairs for next 10 years
# Telangana was given a nod because of long standing demand, not for political reasons
# Cabinet will appoint group of ministers to address the issues of people of Andhra and Telangana
# Telangana was given a nod because of long standing demand, not for political reasons
# Formation of Telangana state will take four to five months
# TRS leaders have always said that they will merge their party with Congress after Telangana nod
Earlier on the day, the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) unanimously endorsed the creation of a separate state of Telangana.
[Courtesy: The Hindustan Times]
“The UPA unanimously decided in favour of Telangana,” RLD leader Ajit Singh told reporters after a meeting of the constituents of the ruling coalition at the residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Replying to questions, there are “so many issues” but a decision was taken on Tuesday in favour of Telangana.
Telangana state will comprise 10 districts with Hyderabad as its capital. The Congress leadership has reportedly dropped the proposal for Rayala-Telangana, comprising Rayalaseema and Telangana in view of strong opposition from leaders of both the regions. It is also understood to have given up the idea of union territory status to Hyderabad due to reservations by Telangana leaders.
The other state comprising Rayalaseema and Andhra regions is likely to retain the name Andhra Pradesh. Hyderabad is likely to be made joint capital of both the states for few years till Andhra Pradesh develops its own capital.
BJP demands bill on Telangana during Monsoon session
The BJP has charged the Congress with “dilly-dallying” on the issue and demanded that the UPA dispensation not just make an announcement but bring a bill on it in the monsoon session of Parliament.
“There has been a demand for giving statehood to Telangana with Hyderabad as the capital and an integral part of the state but Congress has been dilly-dallying on the issue. We do not know what it is going to do. Congress has betrayed the people of the region for the last 56 years,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.
The remarks came even as Congress top brass is engaged in a series of discussions on the issue amid indications that an announcement is imminent.
“We reiterate our demand for Telangana. We don’t want Congress to only make an announcement but also bring a bill in Parliament in the monsoon session,” Javadekar said, adding that it will be passed by both Houses.
The BJP MP recalled that Congress had made an announcement in Parliament on December 9, 2009 that the process of formation of Telangana has begun. “Three and a half years have passed since then but nothing has been done. The government has betrayed the people,” he said.
[The Hindustan Times]