Ministers' panel on Telangana to meet Friday

The central government is going ahead with the process of creating a separate Telangana state out of Andhra Pradesh with a group of ministers (GoM) on the issue set to hold its first meeting Friday, said a minister Wednesday.

"The first meeting of the GoM on Telangana will be held Friday," Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde told reporters.

The central government's move has come in the face of large scale protests against the proposal to create Telangana, which have affected normal life in the Seemandhra region of the state.

Besides Shinde, who heads the GoM, other members are Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister M. Veerappa Moily and Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh.

Minister of State fin the Prime Minister's Office V. Narayanasamy is a special invitee. The GoM was constituted Tuesday.

The terms of reference for the GoM include determining the boundaries of the new state of Telangana and the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh with reference to the electoral constituencies, judicial and statutory bodies, and other administrative units.

It will also look at legal and administrative measures required to ensure that both the state governments can function efficiently from Hyderabad as the common capital for 10 years.

The GoM will take into account the legal, financial and administrative measures that may be required for transition to a new capital of Andhra Pradesh.