Justice Srikrishna Committee on Telangana today said it will start consultations with political parties and other stakeholders on the contentious statehood demand from the first week of March and hoped it would be able to find a solution agreeable to everyone.
The five-member committee, which held its second meeting here, refused to comment on demands from pro-Telangana groups that the Terms of Reference should be changed, saying there is a case pending regarding this in the Supreme Court.
"The meeting was good. We discussed a number of issues and we will make a quick trip to Hyderabad in the first week of March. We will hold preliminary discussions with important people and organisations concerned," Justice Srikrishna, a former Supreme Court Judge, told reporters after the meeting.
He said representations have been "pouring in" from various organisations and individuals and the committee has started analysing the contents.
Justice Srikrishna said the committee will hold wide-ranging consultations for the next two months and is hopeful that it can arrive at some kind of a solution agreeable to all.
Asked about the legal sanctity of the committee and why the government had not notified it yet, Srikrishna said, "I do not know about that. We are interested in working and the status can come later."
Member secretary of the panel, V K Duggal, said the Union Home Secretary had informed him and other members about the (mandate of the) committee and that it is a 'defacto' notification.
Asked about the opposition to the panel from pro-Telangana supporters, Justice Srikrishna said there is no committee in the country which has not seen any opposition.
About the demand for change in ToR, he said, "there is a case in the Supreme Court... They will decide".
About allegations against him by some Congress MPs from Telangana region that he is against bifurcation of the state, he said, "even Mahatma Gandhi had faced allegations and I am no one".
Duggal said Ranbir Singh, another member, will take care of historical, constitutional, political and legal aspects while going into the separate state issue.
The other members -- Abu Saleh Shariff and Rabinder Kaur -- will look into the economic, cultural and social aspects.
Asked about the memorandum received, Srikrishna said some support this (formation of Telangana state) and some oppose it.