Hyderabad may not get UT status,GoM mulls 3 options

Telangana Bill will be tabled during the winter session of parliament (December 5-20).

While the government is learnt to have given up the option of declaring Hyderabad a union territory,the Group of Ministers (GoM),set up for the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh,is reported to be considering three options before sending the Telangana Bill to the Cabinet.

With the control of Hyderabad remaining a contentious issue,the three options are: give control of Hyderabad to the new state of Telangana; set up a council with the chief ministers of Telangana and Seemandhra as its members; give the land,law and order control to the Governor. Sources said the GoM is in favour of the second option.

Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh met on Thursday to finetune the draft bill. Following opposition by several groups including pro-Telangana leaders,sources said Shinde has given up the option of declaring Hyderabad a union territory.

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While Seemandhra leaders dont want to give control of Hyderabad to Telangana,officials said pro-Telangana leaders have opposed the move to give control to the Governor. We are still working on the Bill which will be brought before the Cabinet soon, said an official.

The GoM,on the directions of the Congress Working Committee (CWC),will suggest that Hyderabad remain the joint capital for 10 years.

The GoM is also looking at keeping the Andhra Pradesh cadre undivided till Seemandhra develops its own capital. Sources indicated that the Special Task Forces (STF) formula for division of the cadre has been put on hold. According to sources,the GoM has advised that division of cadre can be done at a later stage,before the term of the joint capital expires.

Some other suggestions,including division of special forces,have been included by the GoM in its Bill. However,a proposal that special forces like the Greyhounds and Octopus be brought under the central government is learnt to have been rejected.

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The GoM is also learnt to have finalised the decision on carving out the boundaries of the two states and sharing of water and power.

Shinde has said that the Telangana Bill will be tabled during the winter session of parliament (December 5-20).