Centre may take a call on only two options on Telangana

With the Srikrishna Committee itself finding four out of the six options suggested as not workable, the Centre may have to take a call on the remaining two options -- keeping Andhra Pradesh united and creation of a separate Telangana state -- in the next few weeks.

In his opening remarks at the meeting with political parties of Andhra Pradesh, Home Minister P Chidambaram declared government's intention to find a "just, honourable and practicable solution that has the widest measure of support among all stakeholders."

Asking all concerned to give the report of the panel "most careful, thoughtful and impartial consideration" and read it with an "open mind", the Home Minister counselled everyone to be prepared to persuade, and to be persuaded by, people who hold another point of view.

Chidambaram pointed out that the Committee itself has rejected the first three options suggested by it as "non-practicable". On the fourth option "it may be difficult to reach a political consensus in making this solution acceptable to all," the Committee has said.

The first three options are: (a) Maintaining Status Quo, (b) 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 and (c) Bifurcation of the state into Rayala-Telangana and Coastal Andhra Regions with Hyderabad being an integral part of Rayala-Telangana.

The forth option is: 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 via Nalgonda district in the south-east to Guntur district in coastal Andhra and via Mahaboobnagar district in the south to Kurnool district in Rayalaseema.

The Home Minister said another meeting of all political parties of Andhra Pradesh is likely to be convened later this month to discuss the options given by the panel.

Sources said the next meeting is likely to be held before the Republic Day -- January 26.

The government would like to take a decision on the recommendations of the panel possibly before the Budget session of Parliament starting in February-end, they said.

Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh government, which was represented in the meeting by chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, will translate the entire report of the Srikrishna committee and upload in the state government website for the convenience of the people of the state.