High-level panel to address fears over Andhra bifurcation

The Congress high command in New Delhi has set up a four-member high-level committee, headed by defence minister A K Antony, to address apprehensions of people in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions over bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. At the same time it was made clear that there will be no going back on the decision of carving out a separate state of Telangana.

Besides A K Antony, the panel consists of petroleum minister Veerappa Moily, party president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel and All India Congress Committee general secretary who is in-charge of Andhra Pradesh, Digvijay Singh.

“The committee will meet all sections of people and submit its recommendations to the government. The government will then decide whether to incorporate the committee’s recommendations in the Telangana Bill that will be tabled in Parliament,” said Singh. But the Telanagana decision will not be reversed, he told the media. No time limit has been set for the committee.

Meanwhile, protests continue in Seemandhra region with rallies, human chains and public meetings. On August 7, the eighth day of the protests, a bandh was observed in Kadapa and Chittoor districts which paralysed the normal life.