2 days before the Justice B N Srikrishna Committee submits its report on the future of Andhra Pradesh, the union government on Wednesday began the process of consultations within its ranks.
The contentious issue of the state's bifurcation was taken up at a meeting chaired by prime minister Manmohan Singh with finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, home minister P Chidambaram, defence minister A K Antony and Congress in-charge for Andhra Pradesh affairs and law minister M Veerappa Moily in attendance.
Apart from these union ministers, senior bureaucrats and officials also attended the meeting.
Sources say that the meeting discussed the situation that might emerge after the submission of the report, and that it also focused on the establishment of a Second States Reorganization Committee to look into the establishment of smaller states.
The sources further add that the centre is contemplating the setting up of a committee to brief the Justice Srikrishna Commission's report to a Group Of Ministers (GoM) so that discussions on how to proceed with the recommendations could begin with the prime minister immediately.
After the discussion of the Srikrishna Commission's report in the Group Of Ministers' meeting, union home minister P Chidambaram will brief the media on the report on January 4 or 5, 2011.
Earlier, Justice Srikrishna and the other members of the panel met the union home minister at his residence and informed him that the report would be submitted as per schedule.
Meanwhile, union information minister Ambika Soni on Wednesday called on Chidambaram and appealed to him to appoint a nodal officer to brief the media about the contents of the report.
She said that the nodal officer would coordinate with the union home ministry and the media over the report.
Soni also asked the media not to sensationalise the report, and to strictly follow the National Broadcasting Association's
guidelines issued in this connection.
The I&B Minister further warned the media of stringent action if a violation of the guidelines is reported.
Courtesy: INN