For Telangana - from Loksabha

on 5 Aug 2011 in Loksabha  SHRIMATI SUSHMA SWARAJ  called the attention of the Minister of Home Affairs to the situation arising out  of delay in creation  of Telangana State and steps taken by the Government in this regard.

 THE MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI P. CHIDAMBARAM) said in response that Hon. Members are aware of the circumstances under which the Government of India set up a five member Committee under the Chairmanship of Mr. Justice (Retd.) B.N. Srikrishna in February 2010. The Committee was requested to hold consultations with all sections of the people and all political parties and groups in Andhra Pradesh to 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. This Committee submitted its report on December 30, 2010. In its report, the Committee has listed the following six  solutions/possible options as the way

forward:

(i)  Maintaining status quo,

(ii)  Bifurcation of the State   into    Seemandhra   and   Telangana, with Hyderabad as a Union Territory and the two States developing their own capitals in due course,

(iii Bifurcation of the State into Rayala-Telangana  and coastal Andhra regions with Hyderabad being an integral part of Rayala-Telangana,

(iv)  Bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh into Seemandhra and Telangana with enlarged Hyderabad Metropolis as  a separate Union Territory. This Union Territory will have geographical linkage and contiguity  viaNalgonda district in the southeast Guntur in coastal Andhra and viaMahboobnagar district in the south to Kurnool district in Rayalaseema,

(v)  Bifurcation of the State into  Telangana and Seemandhra as per existing boundaries with Hyderabad as the capital of Telangana and Seemandhra to have a new capital,

(vi)  Keeping the State united by simultaneously providing certain definite Constitutional/Statutory measures  for socio-economic development and political empowerment of Telangana region - creation of a statutorily empowered Telangana Regional Council.

Following the submission of the report, I convened a meeting of all the major political parties represented in  the Andhra Pradesh State Legislature on January 6, 2011 and requested them to consider the report of the Justice Srikrishna Committee and form an opinion in this regard.

The consultation process with various political parties of Andhra Pradesh is continuing. A suitable decision will be taken in the light of these discussions. The Government of India is keeping a close watch on the political developments as well as on the law and order situation in the State.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh requested the Government of India to consider the  demand to delete paragraph 14(f) of the Andhra Pradesh Public Employment (Organization of Local Cadres and Regulation of Direct Recruitment) Order 1975. Under paragraph 14(f) of the Order, any post of Police Officer, as defined in section  3 (b) of the Hyderabad City Police Act, 1348 F, is exempted from the purview of  aforesaid Order. This implied that Hyderabad City would be a 'free zone' for the purpose of recruitment to the police.

The deletion of paragraph 14(f) would include Hyderabad city in Zone VI for the

purpose of recruitment to the police of the city. The Chief Minister commended the

resolution of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly dated March 18, 2010 that

supported deletion of paragraph 14(f).

After careful consideration, Government has decided to recommend to the

President that clause (f) of paragraph 14 of the Andhra Pradesh Public

Employment (Organization of Local Cadres and Regulation of Direct Recruitment Order, 1975 may be deleted subject to the Resolution on the subject earlier passed

being re-iterated by the Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh. The decision of

the Government was communicated to the State Government on July 13, 2011 for

suitable action.

The Chief Minister,  vide letter dated August 1,  2011, has informed the

Government of India that the earlier resolution of the Legislative Assembly dated

March 18, 2010 still holds good and there is no change in the composition of the

 Legislative Assembly. He has, therefore, requested that a recommendation may be

made to the President on the basis of the resolution of March 18, 2010. The matter

is under active consideration.

The Government would like to make an earnest appeal to all sections of the

people in Andhra Pradesh that they should allow the consultation process to reach

its logical conclusion. Meanwhile, the Government would like to reiterate the

appeal issued at the end of the all party meeting on January 6, 2011 that 'peace,

harmony, and law and order should be maintained in the State of Andhra Pradesh.'

Responding to the points raised by Shrimati Sushma Swaraj, Shri

Gurudas Dasgupta, Shri Sarvey Satyanarayana and Dr. K.S. Rao, the

Minister further stated:  There are a very large number of people in Andhra

Pradesh who are divided on this issue and nothing should be said and done in the

Parliament that will inflame passions there.  My effort from the very beginning has

been that the solution to the problem must come from the people of Andhra

Pradesh and the Government of India can only facilitate the solution.  The hon. Leader of the Opposition has referred the  Report of the States Reorganisation

Commission, the Gentlemen’s Agreement of 1956, the introduction of Article 371

(1) of the Constitution, the six-point formula of 1973, the introduction of 371 (d), and the elections to the State Assembly in May, 2009.  All this is a part of the long

history.  But there is also a more recent history.  As recently as December 7, 2009,

there was a Business Advisory Committee meeting followed by an All-Party

meeting in Hyderabad.  It  is based on the minutes of those meetings that the

Government of India, through me, made an announcement on December 9.  But

shortly after that statement was made on December 9, the situation at the ground

altered.  The principal  political party in Andhra Pradesh and the principal

Opposition party in Andhra Pradesh divided.  And when they divided, the

Government of India was obliged to take  notice of that fact and then we made a

statement on December, 23.   After that, the Srikrishna Committee was appointed

and the Committee is the authors of the Report.  The distinguished Judge, Justice

Srikirshna has adhered to the Terms of Reference.  The Terms of Reference did

require the Srikirshna Committee to explore the options that are available in order

to find a way forward and they have given six options.  But I cannot clarify why

the Justice Sri Krishna Committee added the Chapter VIII and said, “this Chapter

may be classified as secret.”  Whether it should be made public or not, it is a

matter, which is  sub judice in the Andhra Pradesh High Court.  A young boy

comes to Delhi.  It is reported that there is a death.  Police are investigating it.  It is

suspected to be a case of suicide.  There is a suspicion that the note reportedly or allegedly written by him was  in his pocket. The matter  is under investigation. 

Every death in such circumstances saddens us; it diminishes each one of us.  We

all should appeal to the youth of Andhra Pradesh not to take these extreme steps. 

The hon. Leader of the Opposition asked us to bring a Bill and they will support. 

That is her party’s political position.  The Government have to follow a particular

process in order to find the solution, and in that process, it will certainly take note

of the position the principle Opposition Party in the Lok Sabha today maintains

that Telangana should be created. There  are eight recognized political parties in

Andhra Pradesh.  Three parties, the BJP, TRS, and CPI are clearly for Telangana. 

One Party, the CPI(M), is opposed to  the creation of Telangana.  The TDP is

divided and four out of eight parties have not yet reached a final conclusion.  We

are urging the parties to kindly complete your process of consultation quickly so

that we can call an all party meeting and we can take a decision based upon what

they report to us at the meeting.  It may take a few weeks and it may take three

months.  But, we must be patient.  This involves the future of about 12 crore

people in Andhra Pradesh.  In the meanwhile,he appeal to the people of

Andhra Pradesh, especially the young men and women to maintain peace and

harmony until they come to a conclusion.