Government will act on Telangana formation after reaching consensus: Chidambaram - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday said that the government would take a decision on the Telangana issue only after a consensus was reached on it. Interacting with the Women's Press Corps here, Chidambaram said: "There was a demand for Telangana. All legislative parties were for the creation of Telangana. However, after the December 9, 2009 statement was made, representatives of all parties rejected it. It has now been decided that both demands - formation of a Telangana state and or for a unified Andhra Pradesh-will be considered after a consensus is reached." Chidambaram's view on the issue came a day after Member Secretary of the Srikrishna Committee, V.K. Duggal, said here that the committee is likely to come out with a public notice seeking suggestions and views from public, political parties and outfits on the Telangana issue. Duggal said the public notice would be issued in English newspapers in New Delhi and all Telugu, English, Urdu and Hindi newspapers in Andhra Pradesh. "The public notice is likely to be issued on February 20. The notice will have the complete Terms and Reference for the committee and will invite suggestions and views from people of all regions and sections of Andhra Pradesh," Duggal said. "I have consulted the chairman of the panel many times before finalising the notice," he added. Duggal said the views and suggestions can be in the form of memorandum and letters and should be sent to the committee within a month''s time. He further added that the committee would also examine the demands for keeping Andhra Pradesh united. The panel is likely to travel to Hyderabad next month to hold discussions with political parties and leaders of organisations for and against Telangana. The state has been in the throes of violence between activists supporting the formation of the Telangana state and those who are not. Earlier this week, ten Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) MLAs quit from the State Assembly in protest against the seven-point terms of reference announced by the Centre to look into the Telangana statehood issue.