IANS/New Delhi
A cabinet note is being prepared to deal with procedural issues around the formation of Telangana, Finance Minister P Chidambaram told parliament yesterday.
“In the matter relating to the separate state of Telangana, the Constitution of India lays down a procedure for formation of new states,” Chidambaram said in a brief statement in the Rajya Sabha.
“Besides, a number of substantive matters have to be addressed with the formation of a new state. These matters are under the consideration of the government,” he said.
The statement came after several MPs demanded a statement from the government over Telangana.
Chidambaram said the government will “bring a comprehensive note for the cabinet containing both substantive and procedural issues for the decision of the cabinet.”
The issues, he said, “will include, but (will) not (be) limited to, sharing of river waters, generation and distribution of electricity, safety and security of all residents of all three regions, guarantee of fundamental rights of all residents, etc.”
He said a structured debate can be held in parliament once the cabinet takes a decision.
“The government will welcome such a discussion at an appropriate time,” Chidambaram said.
Meanwhile, government employees in Rayalaseema and Andhra have threatened to launch an indefinite strike from August 12 if the elected representatives from the two regions failed to quit to stall the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
After a meeting with Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu in Hyderabad, , leaders of Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers’ Association (APNGO) said they would go ahead with the strike.
The employees are demanding that all central ministers, MPs, state ministers and legislators resign by August 12 to mount pressure on the central government to reverse its decision to carve out a separate Telangana state.
“We want the centre to keep the state united and we are making all efforts to ensure this,” APNGO’s state president P Ashok Babu told reporters.