File photo of Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde
The Group of Ministers (GoM) looking into issues related to bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, will hold a crucial meeting in the national capital on Wednesday as the hectic parleys were on to find an amicable solution.
The GoM, which held consultations with central ministers from the state, various political parties and government departments, will meet at 2.30 p.m. The meeting may finalise the report to be presented to the union cabinet.
The cabinet meet scheduled for Thursday is likely to take note of the GoM's recommendations for incorporating them in the draft bill being prepared for carving out Telangana state.
The draft bill is likely to be sent to President Pranab Mukherjee later this week for referring the same to Andhra Pradesh assembly for its opinion. The central government intends to table the bill during winter session of parliament next month.
Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, who is heading the GoM, hinted that Wednesday's meeting of the GoM may not be the final one. "We are trying to find a solution which doesn't hurt anybody," he told reporters.
Some GoM members met Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday evening, though Mr Shinde and Jairam Ramesh met her on Tuesday and they reportedly discussed the draft report. Mr Ramesh later met Science and Technology Minister S. Jaipal Reddy, who hails from Telangana.
Mr Ramesh is also scheduled to meet central ministers from Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra) on Wednesday morning.
A day after meeting Ms Gandhi, Mr Reddy said people and all political parties of Telangana were totally opposed to the demand for union territory status to Hyderabad.
He told reporters that he conveyed to the GoM the suggestions to ensure that Hyderabad serve as common capital of the two states for 10 years.
J.D. Seelam, a central minister from Seemandhra, on Tuesday said they would support Telangana bill in parliament if Telangana leaders agree to Hyderabad as union territory.
Another minister from Seemandhra, Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy met Mr Shinde.
A group of Congress leaders from Telangana led by legislator M. Sashidhar Reddy also called on Mr Shinde and demanded that the number of assembly seats in Telangana be increased from 119 to 153. They also wanted the central government to continue a legislative council in Telangana.