New Delhi/ Hyderabad: The Group of Ministers (GoM) looking into issues related to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh held its final round of consultations yesterday before finalising its recommendations.
The GoM, headed by Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, met for three-and-half hours in the national capital, and held final consultations with top officials of various departments.
The cabinet is meeting today but it was not clear whether the GoM would submit its report.
Union Ministers from Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra) continued to insist on union territory status for Hyderabad but Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh maintained that the constitution has the provisions for a common capital for a specific period.
Digvijaya Singh, who is in charge of party affairs in the state, hinted that the bill for forming Telangana state would be tabled during the winter session of parliament next month. He told reporters that the draft bill would be sent to the Andhra Pradesh assembly as soon as possible.
“The issue of common capital can be addressed within framework of the constitution. An appropriate law can be framed and this is going to be done by the ministry of law and justice,” he said. The central ministers from Seemandhra during their separate meetings with Digvijaya Singh and also GoM members Jairam Ramesh and P Chidambaram insisted that Hyderabad be made a union territory.
IANS
