Hyderabad:
The UPA government appears to have decided against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. NDTV has learnt that the Centre is holding consultations with its allies for the formation of a Telangana Regional Development Council. This comes almost two years after Union Home Minister P Chidambaram announced that steps will be initiated for the formation of a separate Telangana state. The TRS has reacted sharply.
"We will stall proceedings in Parliament along with BSP and other like-minded parties. Rashid Alvi himself has said the second SRC does not apply to Telangana," said K Chandrashekar Rao, President of Telangana Rashtra Samith (TRS).
Perhaps an indication that the UPA government is not inclined to allow the formation of a separate Telangana state came with the Prime Minister's statement on November 13.
"We cannot solve the problem of Telangana by agreeing to Telangana being given while there is disquiet and unrest in the other regions of Andhra Pradesh," Dr Manmohan Singh had said.
Telangana watchers point out that the regional council has been a tried and tested option that has not worked in the past.
There was a statutory council for Telangana with a local as chairperson right from the time formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956. That was disbanded when NT Rama Rao became the Chief Minister in 1982.
YS Rajasekhara Reddy revived the council in 2004 with the promise of economic package for the development of the region but that remained merely an advisory body that changed little on the ground.
Pro-Telangana activists have welcomed the Uttar Pradesh Assembly's resolution on dividing the state into four parts and say the Centre must clarify its stance on formation of new states and say Telangana must come even before Uttar Pradesh is divided.
The proposal of a Telangana Regional Council leaves the TRS with a Hobson's choice. They have to keep up the emotional momentum of the Telangana agitation and that is not going to be easy.
The Telangana protests and Mayawati's demand to divide Uttar Pradesh into four states may lead to the Centre setting up a second States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) to decide on the creation of new states.
"A second SRC alone can address such issues," Digvijaya Singh, Congress General Secretary, had hinted a week back after Mayawati's four-state-division announcement.
"We will stall proceedings in Parliament along with BSP and other like-minded parties. Rashid Alvi himself has said the second SRC does not apply to Telangana," said K Chandrashekar Rao, President of Telangana Rashtra Samith (TRS).
Perhaps an indication that the UPA government is not inclined to allow the formation of a separate Telangana state came with the Prime Minister's statement on November 13.
"We cannot solve the problem of Telangana by agreeing to Telangana being given while there is disquiet and unrest in the other regions of Andhra Pradesh," Dr Manmohan Singh had said.
Telangana watchers point out that the regional council has been a tried and tested option that has not worked in the past.
There was a statutory council for Telangana with a local as chairperson right from the time formation of Andhra Pradesh in 1956. That was disbanded when NT Rama Rao became the Chief Minister in 1982.
YS Rajasekhara Reddy revived the council in 2004 with the promise of economic package for the development of the region but that remained merely an advisory body that changed little on the ground.
Pro-Telangana activists have welcomed the Uttar Pradesh Assembly's resolution on dividing the state into four parts and say the Centre must clarify its stance on formation of new states and say Telangana must come even before Uttar Pradesh is divided.
The proposal of a Telangana Regional Council leaves the TRS with a Hobson's choice. They have to keep up the emotional momentum of the Telangana agitation and that is not going to be easy.
The Telangana protests and Mayawati's demand to divide Uttar Pradesh into four states may lead to the Centre setting up a second States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) to decide on the creation of new states.
"A second SRC alone can address such issues," Digvijaya Singh, Congress General Secretary, had hinted a week back after Mayawati's four-state-division announcement.
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