The Centre has decided to call an all-party meeting on bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh next week to seek their views on various issues. “The meeting will discuss various provisions of the terms of reference of the Group of Ministers (GoM) and give suggestions,” Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who heads the GoM, told journalists here on Wednesday.
The third meeting of the seven-member GoM is slated for November 7 and the Ministry of Home Affairs is likely to call the all-party meeting before that. One of the main mandates of the GoM is to seek opinions of all stakeholders on all important issues while formulating its recommendations to the Union Cabinet on the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
Government sources said the issue of Telangana has already led to sustained agitations in Seemandhara region and even in Delhi, and the government wanted to reach a consensus on various contentious issues before going any further. In its last two meetings, the GoM has already held discussions regarding the sharing of natural resources and other assets, river and power issues, and demarcation of boundaries.
Notably, the Centre has already constituted a high-level committee headed by former CRPF Director-General K. Vijay Kumar to look into the division of assets and the administrative framework which would be required when Telangana is created. The committee is currently visiting Hyderabad, the proposed joint capital of the two States, and interacting with professionals, State government officials and government bodies.
