The Centre and the Congress are battling to grapple with the fallout of their decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh.
Six ministers (three Cabinet Ministers and three Ministers of State) have resigned from the Manmohan Singh Cabinet, while four MPs have quit the Congress and one MP has decided to sue the Government for its “anti-constitutional” decision.
The Centre termed the protests “natural” and has decided to move ahead with the bifurcation process. The Centre hopes to table the Bill in the winter session of Parliament, scheduled in November. It has also announced a 10-member group of ministers (GoM) to look into the issue.
The terms of reference of the GoM include determination of the boundaries of both the States, redrawing of electoral constituencies, judicial and statutory bodies and other administrative units.
Reacting to the development, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said, “We will take them into confidence. We will try our level best. After all, wherever there is bifurcation of any State, such feelings are there. It is natural. No one can avoid these. But we have to console them. We will try to console them.”
Defence Minister A.K. Antony, who was chairing a panel of the Congress party, set up to hold talks with party leaders in the State, will not be part of the GoM. The panel is likely to be chaired by Shinde.
The Ministers of Finance, Law, Water Resources, Human Resource Development, Urban Development, Road Transport and Highways, Power and Personnel, besides the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission will be members of the panel.
Shinde said the GoM’s recommendations will be submitted to the Cabinet within six weeks to make sure that the Bill could be introduced in Parliament in the winter session.
The GoM will also look into the legal and administrative steps required to make Hyderabad the common capital of both States, for 10 years. The GoM will also study issues related to law and order, in order to ensure peace and harmony in the region following the bifurcation.
It will also evaluate the long-term internal security implications arising out of the bifurcation and make suitable recommendations. Earlier, a number of Ministers had reportedly raised an alarm over the plan to bifurcate the State, citing Maoist insurgency.
The GoM will also look into the sharing of river waters, irrigation resources and other natural resources. The controversial issue of declaring the Polavaram irrigation works as a national project will also be sorted out by the GoM. Issues related to power generation, transmission and distribution between the two States; distribution of assets, public finance, public corporations and liabilities post-bifurcation; distribution of work and change of cadre of All India Services Officers and related matters will also be taken by the GoM.