Amid the ongoing protest with demands for new districts with their towns as headquarters, the State Government has called an all-party meeting on the issue of reorganisation of districts followed by the Cabinet meeting on Saturday.
The all-party meeting is aimed at eliciting views of major political parties in the State on the government’s plan to carve out new districts on the grounds of administrative ease and convenience to people. The two meetings slated for Saturday are expected to fast-track the government process of creating new administrative units and bring them into being from Dasara.
Irrespective of the demands of leaders of opposition parties as well as those from the ruling party, the Cabinet Sub-Committee appointed by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao submitted its recommendations proposing 27 districts in all. It also reportedly proposed increasing the number of revenue divisions from 44 to 74 and that of mandals from 459 to 533, overlooking the demands of most opposition leaders in the process.
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The government has invited two representatives each from TRS, Congress, MIM, BJP, CPI, CPI (M) and TDP to the all-party meeting is scheduled to commence around 2 pm in the C-Block in Telangana Secretariat. However, the YSRCP has decided to stage a silent protest at Ambedkar’s statue for denial of invitation to it stating that it is a recognised political party in the State. “What’s the use in having two district headquarters within 30 km distance as in the case of Nagarkurnool and Wanaparthy in Mahabubnagar”, remarks BJP MLC N. Ramchander Rao.
Similar objections are being raised in case of Hanmakonda as the proposed new district centre, which is only a stone’s throw from Warangal. Official sources stated that the agenda for the Cabinet meeting was very brief with only the issue of new districts to figure in it prominently. But the matter of holding a special session of the legislature for giving its nod to the constitutional amendment for introducing the new Goods and Services Tax Bill regime from the next financial year was also expected to be taken up. Meanwhile, protests were staged in different parts of the State on Friday, the vocal ones being held at Jangaon, Gadwal and Mulug, with the demand to make the towns as district headquarters. Police resorted to lathi-charge on the protesters at Jangaon as the agitators thronged the streets in spite of prohibitory orders imposed under Section 144 of the CrPC. Police had to take the leaders of all-party committee into custody following their attempts to prevent plying of buses by blocking the way at the bus depot and at bus station in Gadwal. Minister A. Chandulal’s convoy was also obstructed by the protesters at Mulug demanding Sammakka-Saralamma district with the town as headquarters.