Srikrishna Committee submits Telangana report to Chidambaram

Justice B N Srikrishna Committee on Thursday submitted the much-awaited report on the Telangana statehood issue to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram.  

Ahead of the submission of its report to the Centre, the Committee held its last meeting to finalise the contents of the much-awaited report. The five-member committee met for over two hours at the Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh presided over an emergency meeting of the Union cabinet to review the Telangana state issue and security in Andhra Pradesh ahead of the submission of the report.

Chidambaram, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Union Defence Minister AK Antony and Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily were among those who attended the meeting.

Earlier, the five-member committee reviewing the Telangana statehood issue had said it would give "several options with their pros and cons" in its report that will seek to achieve the highest satisfaction of the largest number.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Tuesday, Committee chairman and former Supreme Court judge Justice BN Srikrishna hoped that the report, to be submitted to Chidambaram by December 31, would offer a solution to the divisive demands for the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

He also expressed hope that all political parties in the state will accept the report and maintain peace and harmony after it is submitted. "I hope peace prevails in the state after the report is submitted; it is the responsibility of the politicians and the media," he said.

The seven-point term of reference announced by the Indian government on February 12 has mandated the Srikrishna Committee to examine the situation in Andhra Pradesh with reference to the demand for a separate state of Telangana as well as the demand for maintaining the present status of united Andhra.

The government constituted the Committee on February 3, nearly two months after it had announced that steps have been initiated for the formation of a separate state of Telangana.

The Telangana region is spread over 10 northern districts of Andhra Pradesh.