Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Thursday, referring to the Srikrishna Committee recommendations, said that the report itself has rejected the first three options as “non-practicable”. The committee has placed a set of six options before the Centre.
Mr Chidambaram said, “The report has listed six options and for each option the committee has given pros and cons. The committee has also given its views. If you read the report carefully, you will find that the Committee itself has rejected the first three options and termed them as non-practicable. It has listed options 4, 5 and 6 and also suggested the way forward.”
The first option which is titled “maintaining status quo” clearly states that it is the least favoured option as the committee favours some intervention.
The second option that favours the bifurcation of the state into Seema Andhra and Telangana with Hyderabad as a Union Territory and the two states developing their own capitals in due course is also found impracticable by the committee. It fears that it could lead to a backlash in the Telangana region.
The third option, which the committee feels has economic justification is dividing the state into two but clubbing Rayalseema and Telangana as one state. Hyderabad would be made a part of Rayal-Telangana and coastal Andhra would be a separate state. This too is rejected by the committee on the grounds that it may not be acceptable to people of all the three regions.
Regretting the fact that some political parties stayed from the meeting convened by his ministry, Mr Chidambaram said, “Even the parties, which I think regrettably did not attend the meeting today, showing scant respect not to me but to the Committee, I would urge them to read the report.”