Even as Seemandhra observed a bandh in protest against Andhra Pradesh’s bifurcation and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi upped the ante over the status of Hyderabad demanding amendments to the Telangana Bill to give complete Statehood and independence to Telangana just like other newly-formed States, the Centre on Saturday said an expert committee will be set up to determine the new Capital of residual Andhra Pradesh.
“The expert panel will be constituted and within 45 days of the Telangana Bill being enacted by the Parliament, it will recommend the new Capital,” Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said. The Government is committed to financing the building of the new Capital —Raj Bhavan, Secretariat, High Court and all other such facilities, the Minister told media here two days after the Union Cabinet gave the go-ahead for the creation of a 10- district Telangana.
The Bill, cleared by the Cabinet, will be sent to the President with a request to make a reference to Andhra Pradesh Assembly to obtain its views. According to the decision, Hyderabad will remain the common Capital for both the States for a period not exceeding ten years. On the issue of water-sharing, which has been subjected to heated debates in both the regions of Andhra Pradesh, Ramesh said the Centre would create a two-tier institutional mechanism— political and administrative — to address it.
“On water, we are suggesting a two-tier mechanism — an apex council comprising Chief Ministers in order to discuss issues relating to planning of water resources and two boards — a Krishna River Board and Godavari River Board — to do the day-to-day management regulation and administration to ensure that the award to the tribunal will get implemented,” he said.
He said Krishna Board will be located in residual Andhra Pradesh and Godavari board will be located in Telangana. “And for the first time in the bill we have put the principles on which the boards will function so that water does not emerge as a source of conflict,” the Minister said. He said that Polavaram will be declared as a national project and will be executed by the Union Government following all environmental and R&R norms.
TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao had on Friday said, “We are dissatisfied with the draft bill on Telangana since it is belittling to the people of Telangana. It envisages bestowing the control of law and order in Hyderabad on the governor, which is insulting to the people of the region.” He also said he would write to the PM demanding amendments to the Telangana Bill.