The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) has started a meeting on the Telengana developments.
The Committee is the “executive” committee within the Cabinet in charge of taking sensitive political decisions and is headed by the Prime Minister of India.
Besides the PM Manmohan Singh, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, defence minister A K Antony, home minister P Chidambaram and external affairs minister S M Krishna are also members.
The Committee is discussing the way forward on the Telengana issue after mass resignations of MPs and MLAs from the region to protest against the perceived inaction on their demand for a separate state.
In a press conference earlier, home minister P Chidamabaram was widely seen as going back on his earlier assurance that a separate Telengana state will be created.
“The central government’s view will be made known after the consultation process is over. We have to bring everyone on board. There is a strong view of large number of people. We are yet to take a final decision,” he said, angering the agitating protester and legislators even more.
The creation of a separate state in Telengana, the interior of Andhra Pradesh, is seen by most experts as inevitable. The demand for a separate state arose at perceived discrimination by the Coastal Andhraites who allegedly dominate the state administration.
Telenganites allege that they have been edged out from getting their due share of the benefits of the state administration.
Like many interior parts of big states, Telengana is less developed compared to the rest of Andhra. However, the Justice BN Srikrishna commission on separate statehood for Telangana had recommended keeping the state “united” in its report submitted last December.