Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said there is no proposal before his government for creation of new states but there have been demands for a separate Telangana, which is being looked into by a committee.
Mr. Singh also said he cannot offer comments on the issue of creation of new states in the country pending the receipt of the report of the Justice B. N. Srikrishna committee report.
“There is no such proposal for creation of States (before the government),” Mr. Singh said when asked whether there was any move to create new States.
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He noted that there were demands for the creation of a separate Telangana from Andhra Pradesh, which has been referred to a committee.
“The matter (issue of creation of Telangana) has been referred to a committee under a very distinguished former judge of the Supreme Court (Justice B. N. Srikrishna),” the Prime Minister said.
“Pending the receipt of the report it will be difficult for me to offer any comments,” he said.
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Mr. Singh’s comments assume significance in the wake of demands from various political parties and organisation for creation of smaller States in the country following Centre’s announcement in December last year that it would initiate steps for the formation of a separate State of Telangana.
However, a fortnight later, the Centre had said that there was a need for holding “wide-ranging consultations” on the issue following protests in Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions over the Centre’s decision on Telangana.
In February, the Government appointed a five-member committee headed by Justice Srikrishna to look into the demands for creation of Telangana as well as a united Andhra Pradesh.
The committee, which has been asked to submit a report by December 31 this year, has started its consultation process by holding discussions with political parties, civil society organisations and the general public.
It has received over 65,000 representations in the form of memorandums, petitions, letters and research papers for and against creation of Telangana.