`Rayala-Telangana` likely to get GoM nod on Tuesday

Zee Media Bureau New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi along with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday appeared to have taken a crucial decision on the proposed Telangana state. Reportedly, the Center has decided to redraw the boundaries of Telangana state, which is yet to be carved out after bifurcating Andhra Pradesh. Reports state that the "Rayala-Telangana" formula – Telangana with two districts of Rayalaseema – has received the nod of PM and Sonia Gandhi. According to the news reports, besides the ten districts in the Telangana region, the proposed new entity called `Rayal-Telangana` will include two out of the four districts in Rayalaseema, which are Anantpur and Kurnool. Meanwhile, the GoM, set up to look into the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, is all set to recommend special status to both the states under Article 371-D of the Constitution and examining a proposal to include two districts of Rayalseema in Telangana. The Group of Ministers is likely to propose that the draft Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill should be named as Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Bill, thus avoiding an amendment in the Constitution but allowing both the states to enjoy special status, official sources said. This provision, which has overriding effect on other Articles of the Constitution, was brought in following agreement on a six-point formula between leaders of the state on September 21, 1973. This formula was aimed at a uniform approach for "accelerated development of the backward areas" of Andhra Pradesh, and to provide "equitable opportunities" to different areas of the state in the matter of education and employment in public services. The proposal to reconstruct the boundaries of Telangana and include two districts of Rayalaseema - Kurnool and Anantapur - as part of Telangana is believed to have been examined by the GoM. However, sources said, it is not clear whether a final decision has been taken by the ministerial panel on it.

If this proposal is accepted, the united Andhra Pradesh would be divided equally and both the states would get 147 seats each in the assembly and 45 seats in the legislative council. Though Congress Central Working Committee resolved on July 30 to create separate Telangana state with 10 districts, including Hyderabad, its latest plan is said to be to divide all four districts of Rayalaseema region equally and amalgamate two of them (Kurnool and Anantapuram) in Telangana, thereby creating the Rayala-Telangana state. This was one of the recommendations made by Justice Srikrishna Committee. In fact, Union Rural Development Minister and member of GoM looking into the state bifurcation issue, Jairam Ramesh, was said to have broached the Rayala- Telangana proposal when Deputy chief minister Damodara Rajanarasimha had met him in New Delhi. However, except Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen party and a few Congress leaders from Anantapuram district, there are no takers for the Rayala-Telangana plan. With PTI inputs