Even as the Group of Ministers on Telangana interacted with government officials on the formation of the new State, a delegation of Seemandhra Ministers in the Union Cabinet on Wednesday met GoM member and Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh and reiterated its demand that Hyderabad be made a permanent Union Territory.
Ministers have indicated that the GoM is likely to have a few more sittings, including one on Thursday, before sending its report to the Cabinet. The delegation insisted that the temple town of Bhadrachalam, now in Khammam district, in Telangana, be remerged with East Godavari district (in Seemandhra).
Officials from various government departments — Home, Finance, Water Resources, Health, Power and Personnel — presented their reports during the interactions. The GoM had sought clarifications from the Ministries of Home and Water Resources about naxal threats and water-sharing from the Krishna and Godavari. Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) V. Narayanasamy, a special invitee to the GoM, told The Hindu he was confident that the Telangana bill would be introduced in the ensuing winter session of Parliament, which begins on December 5, after all formalities were completed. Even as Seemandhra leaders seek that Hyderabad be brought under the Centre’s control, Telangana Rashtra Samithi MLA K.T. Rama Rao maintains that his party was dissatisfied with the Centre’s announcement to make Hyderabad joint capital for 10 years. “Five years is more than enough for the Seemandhra people to create their own capital,” he said
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>>“Telangana Bill in winter session: Narayanasamy” (Nov. 28, 2013) wrongly described K.T. Chandrasekhara Rao as a Telangana Rashtra Samithi MLA. It should have been K.T. Rama Rao. It was an editing error.