Justice Srikrishna Committee on Telangana meets in New Delhi

New Delhi, Mar 18: The five members of Justice Srikrishna Committee, convened by the Union Government to resolve the statehood issue of Telangana in Andhra Pradesh, held a routine meeting in the national capital on Thursday.

The members discussed their varied observations and also assessed the steps taken on the issue so far, while a deputation of the Telangana Congress Monitoring Group (TCMG) made its presence felt on the scene to submit a memorandum in support of separate Telangana state.

Holding banners, the TCMG members staged a mini demonstration and raised slogans for their cause outside Vigyan Bhavan from where the Justice Srikrishna Committee functions.

"Telangana case has been examined, over-examined, evaluated, over evaluated, thoroughly reported and only to be deceived. At this juncture keeping the anguish and sensitised environment of four crore people of Telangana, the Union Government is kind enough to constitute a committee, consisting of vital personalities like Justice Srikrishna and V. K. Duggal with three other members," said Praful Anand Baxi, a member of the TCMG.

The TCMG activists displayed the 111-page report that they had submitted to the Justice Srikrishna Committee.

The extensive report contains views, directions, and suggestions of veteran personalities and expert subgroup, which are routing for a separate state.

"We are here to express, to carry the message of Telangana people, to carry the message of Telangana Congress persons. We are here in an organised form, we have tried to present our case in a document of 111 pages," Baxi added.

This is for the third time that panel headed by Justice B N Srikrishna has met in New Delhi.

Earlier, the committee met on February 13 and issued a public notice inviting political parties and organisations to give their views on the issue of a separate state.

Initially, several political outfits were not in favour of the panel, but now most of them are with the panel and have sent their respective views to it.

The seven-point term of reference announced by the Union Government on February 12 has mandated the Justice Srikrishna Committee to 'examine the situation in Andhra Pradesh with reference to the demand for a separate state of Telangana as well as the demand for maintaining the present status of united Andhra'.

The committee was constituted by the government on February 3, nearly two months after it had announced that steps have been initiated for the formation of a separate state of Telangana.