Overcoming resistance from
Seemandhra leaders from Congress, the Centre on Thursday took the first
significant step towards creation of Telangana state from out of Andhra Pradesh
and deciding that Hyderabad will be the joint capital of the two states for 10
years.
Over two months after the Congress Working Committee put its
seal of approval, the Union Cabinet approved the proposal of the home ministry
for creation of the 29th state and decided to set up a Group of Ministers (GoM)
to work out modalities.
"The Cabinet has given its
approval for the creation of a new state of Telangana," Home Minister
Sushilkumar Shinde told reporters after the meeting that lasted more than two
hours.
He said it was decided that
Hyderabad will be the common capital of the two bifucated states for 10 years.
After the creation of the new
state, the security and guarantees including fundamental rights of the people
of coastal Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana will be ensured, he said.
The Cabinet approved a GoM that
will go into the issue of a special financial disbursement that may be required
from the central government for the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh, for
building its capital and to cater to special needs of the backward regions.
In the meeting, ministers MM
Pallam Raju and KS Rao voiced their opposition to the move, sources said. They
are believed to have said that bifurcation will lead to problems.
The new state will have a
geographical area of 10 of the 23 districts of undivided Andhra Pradesh.
Out of 42 Lok Sabha seats and 294
Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana is likely to have 17 Lok Sabha
seats and 119 Assembly seats.
Seemandhra on high alert
The Union home ministry has directed police to take all precautionary measures
to maintain law and order in view of the possible protests over the
development, officials said.
Acting Director General of Police
B Prasada Rao Thursday evening held a video conference with the inspectors
general of police and superintendents of police of all 13 districts of
Seemandhra, as Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra are together known.
The police chief directed the
officials to beef up security at vital installations and take all necessary
steps to prevent untoward incidents. The SPs have also been advised to act with
restraint while dealing with the peaceful protestors.
Police already tightened security
at the residences of union ministers, MPs, state ministers and state
legislators in the wake of reports that the Telangana note would be submitted
to the union cabinet.(Hindustan Times - 3rd Oct 2013)Link:
Telangana decision should have been taken earlier: BJP
New Delhi: The BJP Thursday said that the cabinet decision on formation of Telangana should have been taken earlier. Reacting to the cabinet decision, Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said the party had been supporting creation of separate state of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh.
"The way Congress works, nobody sure when the bill (for formation of separate state) will come," he said. Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde told reporters Thursday that the cabinet had cleared the formation of Telangana as a separate state.
Javadekar had earlier in the day accused the United Progressive Alliance government of "failing to create a separate state of Telangana peacefully."
He said the Congress has "created a chaotic situation" and "divided the people (of Andhra Pradesh)" while National Democratic Alliance government had created separate states of Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh in an amicable manner.(The Hans India - 3rd Oct 2013)http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/2013-10-03/Telangana-decision-should-have-been-taken-earlier-BJP-73093
"The way Congress works, nobody sure when the bill (for formation of separate state) will come," he said. Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde told reporters Thursday that the cabinet had cleared the formation of Telangana as a separate state.
Javadekar had earlier in the day accused the United Progressive Alliance government of "failing to create a separate state of Telangana peacefully."
He said the Congress has "created a chaotic situation" and "divided the people (of Andhra Pradesh)" while National Democratic Alliance government had created separate states of Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh in an amicable manner.(The Hans India - 3rd Oct 2013)http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/2013-10-03/Telangana-decision-should-have-been-taken-earlier-BJP-73093
A.P protests against 'approval' of Telangana state (A BBC Report)
Protests have been held in the
Indian state of Andhra Pradesh after the government approved the formation of
the new state of Telangana on Thursday.
Media
reports say that at least four federal ministers have offered to quit in
protest against the decision.Telangana would comprise 10 districts of the
southern state, including the city of Hyderabad.In recent years, there have
been protests for and against the creation of India's 29th state.Backers of the
new state say the area has been neglected by the government.Opponents are
unhappy that Hyderabad, home to many major information technology and
pharmaceutical companies, would become a shared state capital.Telangana, with a
population of 35 million, comprises 10 of Andhra Pradesh's 23 districts.The
state capital and India's sixth biggest city, Hyderabad, will be included in
the new state, although for the first 10 years it will serve as the joint capital
of the two states.
Protests against
bifurcation
India's cabinet
approved the setting up of the new state at a meeting on Thursday evening.Soon
after the announcement, those against the state's bifurcation staged rallies
and held protests.They have also called a 48-hour strike in the region, which
is likely to shut down schools, colleges, public transport and businesses.Reports
say four federal ministers from Andhra Pradesh - M Pallam Raju, Kavuri Samba
Siva Rao, Chiranjeevi and Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy - have offered to resign.The
final decision on a new state lies with the Indian parliament. The state
assembly must also pass a resolution approving the creation of the news state.Correspondents
say the timing of the announcement is linked to general elections due early
next year. Recent opinion polls have shown that the Congress party is
struggling in the state, which has 42 parliamentary seats.The move to create
Telangana has sparked off similar demands in the states of West Bengal and
Assam too.(BBC - 4TH OCT 2013)