Decision evokes mixed response from across the state.
The Centre today framed the terms of reference (ToR) for the Telangana committee with a mandate that the panel would examine both the demands for a separate state of Telangana as well as a united Andhra Pradesh. However, an angry Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), which has been supporting a separate Telangana, termed it as a betrayal.
In Hyderabad, TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao asked all his party MPs, MLAs and MLCs to resign from their posts immediately in protest against the “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 impact on the development of different regions of the state.
ToR said it would “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 Joint Action Committee of Osmania University students gave a call for a day-long bandh in Telangana tomorrow to protest against ToR.
The committee has been asked to submit a report by December 31.
Both 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 terms of reference.
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 would “identify the key issues that must be addressed”.
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 would consult other civil society organisations such as industry, trade, trade unions, farmers’ and women’s organisations on the specified matters and elicit their views with specific reference to the overall development of the different regions of the state and make any other recommendations 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.
