Srikrishna Committee’s Telangana report in two weeks

HYDERABAD - The Srikrishna Committee, which is looking into the demands for and against a separate Telangana state, will submit its report to the central government within two weeks, the panel said.

On the last visit to Andhra Pradesh before submitting its report, the panel Thursday said its report was almost ready and it would be submitted before Dec 31, the time given by the central government.

Former Supreme Court Justice B.N. Srikrishna, who is heading the five-member panel, told reporters here that his judgement as a judge may be liked by some and disliked by others.

He appealed to all political parties and other groups to maintain peace and law and order in the state whatever be the committee report. “State is bigger than the party and the nation is bigger than the state,” he said.

Srikrishna said the committee was satisfied with the job it has done during the last 10 months by eliciting opinion from all stakeholders, including the common man.

Former union home secretary V.K. Duggal, who is member secretary of the committee, hoped that all sides would be satisfied with the committee’s report. He said the report would be a reflection of the aspirations of the people.

He said the panel has prepared its report by seeking the opinion of a large number of people and groups within a short time.

The committee members met Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, Chief Minister Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy, Chief Secretary S.V. Prasad, Director General of Police Aravinda Rao and leaders of various political parties for the final round of interaction.

The panel was constituted after Andhra Pradesh was rocked by a series of protests for and against Telangana state following the Dec 9, 2009, statement of Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram that the process for the formation of the Telangana state would be initiated.

IIT Delhi professor Ravindar Kaur, National Law University vice-chancellor Ranbir Singh, and Abusaleh Sharif, a senior research fellow at the New Delhi office of International Food Policy Research Institute, are the other members of the committee.