Dilemma over HYD

T Cong leaders to go by Centre’s take on Hyd

• They meet Antony panel and oppose Rayala T proposal
• Seek CWC decision to be implemented in toto
• Not averse to Hyderabad law & order under Centrel If bifurcation expedited, Seemandhra stir will subside
• Ready to allay concerns of Seemandhra leaders
• Digvijay says Constitutional process on T is on
• High command working for consensus on the issue

Hyderabad/New Delhi: The Antony Committee constituted to bring rapprochement between Telangana and Seemandhra leaders is now caught in a piquant situation over the status of Hyderabad. The committee appears to be groping in the dark on how to convince the Seemandhra leaders on this issue.

One of the proposals being considered by the Centre includes keeping law and order under the control of the Central government. Major industries Minister J Geeta Reddy said that they would not have any objection to such a proposal. She said the committee had told them to abide by any decision the Centre may take in regard to Hyderabad.

During the meeting lasted over one-and-a-half hours, the T leaders made it clear that no other compromise formula would be acceptable to them. They said that even the proposal of Rayala Telangana by merging two districts of Rayalaseema with Telangana was not acceptable to them. Such a proposal would push the State and the party into greater problems and agitation for separate Rayalaseema State would gain further momentum, the T leaders told the committee.

Another minister D Sridhar Babu said that the Committee had asked them to open all channels of communication with Seemandhra ministers and assuage the feelings of the people from those regions. While assuring to do their best, the Telangana leaders sought guidelines from the party high command on how to go about the issue.

They however, told the committee that if the Centre went ahead with the constitutional process to bifurcate the State, the ongoing agitation in Seemandhra could subside. If it further delayed the process, the agitation could take a serious turn, they added.

It is learnt that about six leaders made a detailed presentation on issues like water, revenue and power sharing. Ponnala Lakshmaiah said that they had pleaded with the committee that the CWC resolution be implemented in toto.

N Uttamkumar Reddy said that the committee appealed to the Seemandhra people to call off their agitation. He said they also sought suggestions from the party high command on the measures that need to be taken up to assuage the feelings of the Seemandhra people. D Sridhar Babu said they told the panel that the Cabinet note on bifurcation should be prepared soon.

Later speaking to media, the AICC General Secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh, Digvijay Singh, said that though there was a demand for the committee to visit Hyderabad, they could not do so since the Parliament was in session. He said the talks were on and the constitutional process to bifurcate the State would continue. He said the committee would hear the views of all the leaders from the three regions.

The delegation included AP Ministers Ponnala Lakshmaiah, K Jana Reddy, D K Aruna, Sunita Lakshma Reddy and Suresh Babu, besides Assembly Deputy Speaker Bhatti Vikaramarka and Council Deputy Chairman Vidyasagar, along with Congress MPs Ponnam Prabhakar, Palvai Govardhan Reddy and others like Mohammad Shabbir Ali, N Indrasena Reddy, K Yadav Reddy, Jagdeeshwar Reddy and several others. The Telangana Congress leaders met at the Andhra Pradesh Bhavan.