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The Government of India is expected to form a high-level panel involving 3-5 ministries, including Human Resources and Water Resources, to study the problems perceived to be faced by the Seemandhra region following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi last week told the members of Parliament that an official committee would be constituted for this purpose. The party leadership had already constituted a committee headed by Defence Minister AK Antony that had held a couple of rounds of meetings with the state MPs and the state leadership.
However, Opposition parties along with the organisations representing government employees and other sections of Seemandhra have been demanding setting up of an official committee to voice their grievances against the decision taken last month by the Congress Working Committee(CWC) to form Telangana with Hyderabad as an integral part.
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According to sources in the state government , the Union Home secretary has consulted with chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy in connection with the constitution of this committee and modalities concerned. Either three or five ministries will be made a part of the panel and their representation in the committee will be purely based on the nature of issues raised by the sections demanding the status quo.
Seemandhra leaders have been stating that bifurcation of the state will seriously affect the interests of their region on water, education and employment front among other things. Also, the status of Hyderabad has been central to many of these fears and apprehensions.
Government employees and students from Seemandhra say they will lose access to Hyderabad, good education as well as job opportunities available here if Hyderabad is declared as the capital of Telangana. The government committee is seen as a way out to cool the tempers of the Seemandhra people by giving concrete assurances to protect their interests in the event of state bifurcation.
The ongoing agitations across major towns and cities in the Seemandhra region against bifurcation entered the 29th day today drawing enough political fuel to keep the fire alive. YSR Congress party president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's indefinite fast in the jail entered fourth day today. Incidents of angry protests against the leaders and ministers of the ruling party in the Seemandhra region are on the rise.
Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu has announced to launch a tour in Seemandhra districts from September 1 amidst growing political pressure from his own party ranks.
In Chittoor, the home district of both chief minster N Kiran Kumar Reddy and Chandrababu Naidu, a 48-hour bandh is being observed in the temple town of Tirupati from Wednesday.
