Telangana should not be the first option,and a separate state must be created only if it is unavoidable,the Justice Srikrishna report has said. A united Andhra Pradesh with a proviso for empowering the region,excluding Hyderabad,through a statutory Telangana Regional Council may be the best way forward,says the two-volume,700-page report,which the government made public today. The Indian Express had reported on January 5 that the Srikrishna panel had weighed in on the side of arguments in favour of a united Andhra. The report has offered four other options,including one that proposes a new Union Territory of greater Hyderabad with borders that are contiguous with all three regions of the state: Telangana,Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra. This proposal is yet to be tested with political parties. But pro-Telangana parties opposed to the two states,one capital theory have until now rejected this argument on the ground that Hyderabad is about 200 km away from the nearest border district of coastal Andhra. For the Manmohan Singh government,the immediate issue at hand will be containing the fallout of the report,with the Congresss own MPs and MLAs from Telangana threatening to up the ante in the coming days,and protests already having begun on the Osmania University campus. Home Minister P Chidambaram is likely to convene a meeting of the eight recognised parties of Andhra Pradesh in the third week of January,but the division was clear when Congress MLA Uttam Kumar Reddy,who was one of the representatives in todays all-party meeting,came out to assert that he was in favour of the creation of a separate Telangana with Hyderabad as its capital. The other Congress representative,K Sambasiva Rao,who belongs to coastal Andhra Pradesh,said he would respond after going through the report. As a party,only the CPI supported the creation of Telengana in todays meeting. But the meeting was boycotted by the TDP,TRS and BJP. The TRS criticised the recommendations of the report,saying the only option before the government was to create a separate Telangana with Hyderabad as capital. The report includes the possible fallout of its recommendations. It is possible that the MLAs/MLCs and MPs belonging to different parties in Telangana may be pressurised to resign in order to create a political crisis. It would indeed pose a serious challenge to the leadership to deal with this immediate backlash and the agitations which are likely to continue for a period of time, it says. Officials associated with the Srikrishna panels work said the united Andhra option had been suggested keeping in mind Indias national perspective,and to maintain the development momentum of all three regions of the state. With firm political and administrative management it should be possible to convey conviction to the people that this option would be in the best interest of all and would provide satisfaction to the maximum number of people in the state, the report says. The Telangana Regional Council,it says,would provide a legislative consultative mechanism for the subjects to be dealt with by the Council. The Council,says the panel,will deal with planning and economic development,water and irrigation,education,local administration and public health. It also suggests other confidence-building measures,such as providing adequate political space to Telangana in the form of positions such as chief minister or deputy chief minister,and key ministerial portfolios. SIX options,FEW arguments Maintaining status quo. Favoured the least,not a practical approach,could give fillip to Maoists. Some intervention definitely required. Bifurcation of the state into Seemandhra and Telangana with Hyderabad as a UT. The two states to develop their own capitals. Not practicable. Definite likelihood of serious backlash in Telangana region. Bifurcation into Rayala-Telangana,with Hyderabad as an integral part,and coastal Andhra. Has economic justification,but not likely to be accepted either by pro-Telangana or pro-united Andhra forces. Bifurcation into Seemandhra and Telangana,with enlarged Hyderabad metropolis as a separate UT. Likely to receive stiff opposition from Telangana protagonists,difficult to reach a political consensus on it. Bifurcation into Telangana and Seemandhra as per existing boundaries with Hyderabad as capital of Telangana. Since demand for Telangana has some merit,the most preferred,but the second best option. Separation recommended only if unavoidable and if decision is amicable to all . Will throw up several serious problems. United Andhra with constitutional/statutory measures for empowerment of Telangana region. Most workable option,in best interest of all three regions and from a national perspective. A statutorily-empowered Telangana Regional Council could be set up to meet regions demands.
