United Andhra best way forward: T-panel

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The police in action against students agitating for the creation of a separate state of Telangana on the Osmania University camp

The Justice Srikrishna Committee has recommended a united Andhra Pradesh with constitutional measures for the socio, economic and political empowerment of Telangana as the “best way forward” to “continue the development momentum of all three regions”.

The much-awaited report, which was released by the Centre on Thursday, stated that a united state was recommended keeping in mind the national perspective and also internal security matters.
The committee said though there might be immediate backlash and agitation which were likely to continue for a period of time, it would be possible for the government to contain and control the agitation once people understood the advantages of the state staying united. To achieve this, it has advocated firm political and administrative management.
The 500-odd page report showed a clear leaning towards a united Andhra Pradesh and stated that the second-best option of separation (carving out Telan-gana with Hyderabad as capital) was recommended only if it was “unavoidable” and “if the decision can be reached amicably amongst all three regions”.
The committee went on to say that the demand for a separate Telangana, however, had some “merit and was not entirely unjustified”. It said that a Telangana state would assuage the emotions, sentiments as well as the perceived sense of discrimination and neglect of a “large majority of Telangana people”.
It was of the opinion that a Telangana state could be considered given the long history of the demand, highly-charged emotions at present and the likelihood of the agitation continuing unless handled deftly, tactfully and firmly.
The third preferred option was that of two states — Seemandhra and Telangana — with two new capitals and an extended metropolis of Hyderabad, with parts of Medak, Nalgonda, Ranga Reddy and Mahbubnagar districts as a Union Territory. The UT could also have a legislature in addition to the separate administrative setup, the committee said.
The option has been included keeping in mind the need to provide the geographical contiguity and physical access to Hyderabad metropolis to all the three regions.
The commission was of the view that this option would be more acceptable to the people from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions as their economic interests would remain protected though they preferred a united state. However, it stated that “there is a definite likelihood of serious backlashes in the Telangana region and on overall consideration, the committee found this option was also not practicable”.
Maintaining that Hyderabad was a strategically important city for the nation as it hosts many institutions of excellence and establishments of strategic importance, the committee said these institutions not only sourced talent from all over the country but were vital from the national security perspective.
Interestingly, the committee recommended three more options 1) maintaining status quo, 2) carving out a separate Telangana, building new capitals for both states and declaring Hyderabad as a UT and 3) creation of greater Telangana with the Rayalaseema districts included in it with Hyderabad as the capital.
But, the committee itself dismissed these three options as being impractical.