Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Tuesday the issue of forming Telangana was high on his priority list and he will soon enquire about the status of its implementation.
Singh, who was speaking to mediapersons while returning from his US visit, said he will enquire with Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde about the status of implementation of the decision to carve a separate State out of Andhra Pradesh.
“It is getting recurring attention in the government. When I go back, I will ask the Home Minister what is the status. This is high on my mind,” he said. Referring to the ongoing agitation against the proposed division of the State in Seemandhra, he said it had come to his notice and assured that the government will take an appropriate decision. Earlier, sources in the Home Ministry, said approval of the Union Cabinet for creation of Telangana is likely to be delayed as the ministry is yet to finalise the note to be put up before it.
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has not yet given the go ahead to the draft prepared for presentation before the Cabinet, the sources said. Shinde is waiting for the recommendations of the high-level committee, headed by Defence Minister A K Antony, which is hearing the concerns of all stakeholders. The Home Minister is expected to place the draft before Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for “political clearance”.
After finalisation, the draft will be sent to the Law Ministry for legal vetting before being presented to the Cabinet. The Cabinet, after giving its approval, is expected to set up a Group of Ministers (GoM) to go threadbare into the issues arising out of the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
After that, a resolution is likely to be sent to Andhra Pradesh Assembly regarding the formation of the new State.