Telangana report to give 'several options' on statehood issue

The five-member committee on Telangana statehood issue today said it will give "several options with their pros and cons" in its report that will seek to achieve the "highest satisfaction of the largest number".

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, the committee chairman and former Supreme Court judge Justice BN Srikrishna hoped that the report, to be submitted to home minister P Chidambaram by Friday, will bring out a permanent solution to the contentious issue of demands for bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

Refusing to go into the contents of the report, he expressed the hope that all political parties in the state will accept the report and maintain peace and harmony after the report is submitted.

"I hope peace prevails in the state after the report is submitted. It is the responsibility of the politicians and the media," he said.

The committee members also said all political parties in the state have assured them that they will maintain peace and harmony in the state.

"Several options with their pros and cons," the panel's member-secretary Vinod K Duggal said when asked how many options will the committee give in the "large" report.

"Hopefully, the largest number of people will have the highest sense of satisfaction with the report.
I hope we will achieve that," Duggal said.

The committee was constituted by the Centre on February 3 to look into the demands for the creation of a separate state as well as keeping Andhra Pradesh united.

Ecohing Duggal's views, Srikrishna said the committee had attempted to get the highest satisfaction of the largest people.

Duggal said every aspect mentioned in the Terms of Reference of the committee was looked into "very detaily" and the issue at hand (Telangana) has been analaysed in all its "hues and shades".

"Every politician will say that the report is a well-researched document and it is totally unbiased and absolutely professional. I hope everyone will be satisfied with the report," he said.

Going into detail about the report, Duggal said it will have two volumes with the first one containing the "substantive" report and the second one having all the appendices that are needed.

"Each important aspect including the aspects given in the Terms of Reference have been studied detaily and have been dedicated a separate chapter," he said.

On the submission of the report, Srikrishna said he will submit the report before December 31 as mandated by the Government.

"The time given to me was December 31. I am never known to have crossed the time. So, the report will be submitted to the home minister by December 31," he said.