Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has reiterated that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government would make some announcement on the separate Telangana issue before January 28.
Replying to queries at a press conference in New Delhi, he said he had heard the views of eight political parties from the State on December 28 last and promised to make an announcement within a month. “But I did not say this way or that way. There is nothing at this moment,” he said.
He said the government was consulting all the concerned apart from political parties and collecting necessary information so that something could be worked out before January 28. It was in receipt of various suggestions on what to do and what not to do. Asked what would be the decision, he merely smiled.
Replying to a query on the possibility of Hyderabad becoming a Union Territory, he said there was no discussion on the issue as yet. “There are several suggestions including those made by the Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee and these will be looked into,” he added.
Speculation
Mr. Shinde’s latest statement assumes significance in the light of speculation among different sections in the State over the stand that would be adopted by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government on the long pending issue.
Expectations over the kind of announcement to be made by the Centre are divergent. Pro-Telangana parties such as Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), Communist Party of India (CPI) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have made it clear that they expect the Centre to make a firm announcement on separate Telangana.
On the other hand, speculation in the Congress circles hovers around a regional board, a special package and even another States Reorganisation Commission.
