Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday denied that the Centre was dilly-dallying on granting statehood to Telangana. The issue was taking time to be resolved because the government wanted to consult all stakeholders, he told journalists.
“There is no inaction. Efforts are being made to find a solution, which would bring about a broad based consensus, among all the various stakeholders. There are difficulties in arriving at quick decisions, there is a long history of the Telangana movement, it is not a new movement, it has been there since the mid fifties, and given the complications involved in settlement, it will take some time and that's why we have been engaged in widespread dialogue and discussions with all the stake holders, and it is our hope that out of that will emerge a solution which is a win-win situation for all concerned,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the government had not taken a view on setting up a States Reorganisation Commission to examine demands for statehood from other quarters. “It has been under discussion for several years. There have been proposals from several sources that there is scope for redrawing the federal map of India, but we have not taken a view on this matter.''
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Asked why Bihar's request for special category status was not being addressed, the Prime Minister responded by pointing out that the categorisation of States is decided by the National Development Council (NDC). “Bihar's case is also being examined by the Planning Commission. If a decision is to be taken, that can be taken only in the NDC,” he explained.