Telangana All-Party Meet On New Districts Organized

Participants in the Telangana all-Party meeting held at the Secretariat today came up with several suggestions for, and proposed changes to, the process of delimitation of districts and revenue divisions, saying it should be done in a methodical manner.

Speaking after the conclusion of the meeting, the Telangana Congress alleged that the division of the districts was being done to favour the TRS. Congress leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka opposed the Cabinet Sub-Committee's report that suggested splitting the Adilabad district, which has a population of 30 lakhs, into three districts, when Hyderabad, which has a population of 45 lakhs, is just one district.

The Telangana TDP also opposed the Sub-Committee report and made similar suggestions. The BJP favoured the creation of Jayashankar, Bhadrachalam, Sammakka and Sarakka districts. The CPM favoured Bhadrachalam and Jangaon districts.

CM KCR, who chaired the meeting, offered to organize two more similar meetings in order to take a decision that had every Party's backing.

It is critical for the TRS to create a consensus given the violent protests some parts of the State are witnessing over the division of districts.

Besides the Cabinet Sub-Committee members, ministers and leaders from seven political parties attended the meeting. Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Shabbir Ali from the Congress, L Ramana and Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy from the TDP, Ramchendra Rao and Malla Reddy from the BJP, Ch Venkat Reddy and Palla Venkat Reddy from the CPI, Tammineni Veerabhadram and Julakanti Ranga Reddy from the CPM and Pasha Quadri from the MIM participated in the meeting.