B N Srikrishna Appeals For Peace

Thanking all political parties, leaders and media for extending cooperation during his panel's various visits to the state for consultations on the future of Andhra Pradesh, Justice B N Srikrishna on Thursday called upon the people of the state to observe restraint and maintain peace even after the commission submitted its report on the separate statehood issue.

Justice Srikrishna said that widespread cooperation was instrumental in enabling the panel members to complete their consultations, and enabling it to stick to the deadline of submitting the report within a 10-month period.

Talking to media persons at Lake View Guest House on Thursday after meeting all-party leaders, Justice Srikrishna expressed confidence that that the panel's report would satisfy each and every one in the state. This was the panel's last visit before it filed its report on the contentious issue of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

Justice Srikrishna maintained that whatever the findings of the report, the people must observe restraint and ensure that calm prevailed. He also called upon all political party leaders to appeal to people to maintain peace and harmony after the submission of report.

"We are submitting the report within our deadline. It may hurt some sections of people. Using 20 years of my judicial experience, I am submitting the report. The people of state should respect the report in a democratic way. They should not resort to violence and create law and order situation. If the law and order is affected, the growth of state will come down. The country is greater than the state," he said.

Member-Secretary of the commission Vinod K Duggal said that the commission members were giving final touches to the report after consulting all party leaders, eliciting views of all sections of people and regions of state.

He said that the commission took it as a challenge to submit its report to the centre within the set deadline of December 31st.

Duggal stated that the commission had taken into account how the fruits of development which took place in the state had reached the people, and would also make some recommendations accordingly.

The Member-Secretary asked all the people to take the report in a favourable and positive manner, and observe restraint whatever might be outcome.

When asked about the contents in the report, Duggal refused to answer.

He said that he hoped that the recommendations of the report would address all issues risen after the announcement by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram over the process for formation of separate state.

Earlier, the Commission members met Governor E S L Narasimhan, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, Chief Secretary S V Prasad, Director General of Police Aravinda Rao, and Commissioner of Police A K Khan, and discussed the implications of the report.

Courtesy: INN