'Purpose of Srikrishna panel is to understand the situation'

Justice B N Srikrishna, chairman of the five-member committee set up by the Centre to examine the demands for and against bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, said that the purpose of the committee was to understand the situation in the state.

“We want to know why there is a demand for a separate Telangana and why there is an opposition to such a demand,” he said while addressing a press conference here on Thursday.

The members of the committee were on a two-day visit to the state. “This is just a preliminary meeting to find out what arrangements are being made,” Justice Srikrishna said.

Replying to questions, he expressed hope that all political parties in the state would extend their cooperation to the committee. “Whatever you want to say, you say it. We will examine,” he said in this context.

Meanwhile, Congress legislators from the Telangana region held a meeting and decided to submit separate reports to the committee on different subjects. The Telugu Desam Party legislators from the region also formed a Telangana TDP Forum with senior party leader, N Janardhan Reddy, as its convenor.