Lok Satta Party leader, Jayaprakash Narayan or JP, feels the situation in Andhra Pradesh has come to such a pass that amicable bifurcation is the only way out.

“The cost of forcible unity will be greater than the cost of division,” the IAS officer-turned-politician told select mediapersons here.

Earlier, JP was heckled and pushed around by pro-Telangana lawyers, who were protesting in favour of a separate Telangana at Andhra Bhawan.

JP, who met BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu, Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Jaipal Reddy, with a ‘roadmap’ for an amicable solution, said the response of these leaders was positive. JP, who is an MLA from Kukatpally in Andhra, was in Delhi to meet various political parties in Delhi.

He said Lok Satta Party would submit its amendments to the proposed Telangana Bill to the Prime Minister, too. The Bill is slated to be tabled in Parliament on Thursday.

“It is unfortunate that the Union Cabinet did not accept some of our amendments, which would have legitimately addressed the concerns of the Rayalaseema and Seemandhra regions,” said JP.

The Loksatta Party, he said, has proposed that Rayalaseema region be given ‘Special Category’ status, so that it can get central grants to cover the revenue deficit arising due to bifurcation.

Criticising the Bill for not addressing issues of “serious fiscal imbalance”, JP said  “Hyderabad city enjoys a revenue surplus of Rs 12,854 crore, which is more than adequate to cover the deficit of Telangana (Rs 8,407 crore); however, the residuary Andhra Pradesh has a deficit of over Rs 7,000 crore, stemming from the Rayalaseema region. This deficit is expected to shoot up to more than Rs 10,000 crore in 2014-15.”

JP also proposed inclusion of two districts -- Kurnool and Anantpur -- in Telangana, as these had “close geographical and economic linkages with Telangana and a few linkages with coastal Andhra.” 

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