Andhra Pradesh CM red flags Telangana as GoM wraps up talks

After meeting Union Ministers from the State and Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said, “We have completed the process of discussions with others. Now the GoM members will meet to discuss among themselves to finalise the report to be submitted to the Cabinet as soon as possible.” | EPS

The Group of Ministers (GoM), constituted by the Union Cabinet to look into bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, on Monday concluded discussions with various stakeholders on issues that need resolution at the Central and State government levels.

After meeting Union Ministers from the State and Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said,

"We have completed the process of discussions with others. Now the GoM members will meet to discuss among themselves to finalise the report to be submitted to the Cabinet as soon as possible."

The GoM is likely to meet on Nov 21 to finalise its report which will include inputs from various ministries concerned on distribution of assets, sharing of river waters, irrigation and natural resources and special package for backward regions.

Sources said the GoM is likely to send its report to the Union Cabinet for approval by Nov 28. “After Cabinet clearance, the proposal will be forwarded to the President to refer it to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly. That is an official procedure. However, the Assembly resolution will not be binding,” the sources said.

Earlier, a defiant Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy warned the GoM that bifurcation of the State will trigger terrorism and Naxalism in the region. Pitching for a United State, he recalled that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself had termed Naxalsim as the biggest threat facing the nation and pointed out that “80 per cent of the Maoist leadership is from Andhra.”

Reddy argued that if AP is divided, the Naxal threat will assume alarming proportions. Reddy, addressing a press conference after meeting the GoM, said he had raised the issue of terrorism with the panel as terror activities in Hyderabad were on the rise. “At present, security agencies are using all the resources at their disposal but if the State is divided, how can the governments tackle terrorism?” he questioned

source: The New Indian Express