The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Telugu people should decide on second SRC: B.P.R.Vithal

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Tuesday, Jan 08, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Telugu people should decide on second SRC: B.P.R.Vithal

Special Correspondent

‘Second SRC may take a long time to submit its report’
Vithal suggests revival of Telangana Regional Committee

HYDERABAD: Former Chief Secretary B.P.R. Vithal said that the demand for separate Telangana should be viewed from the standpoint of whether it was an unfinished agenda of the first States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) or as one heading the list of smaller States.

There was, however, no case for Telangana as a smaller State because Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh had dented the argument with bad administration. It was a matter for Telugu-speaking people to decide if an SRC should be constituted to go into the demand, he said, after releasing a book “Regional disparities – separate Telangana”, a collection of essays by former Planning Commission member Ch. Hanumantha Rao, which are translated into Telugu.

Mr.Vithal wondered what the character of the second SRC would be if it was asked to look into the demand. If the first SRC gave each language a State, he said the second SRC might give each caste grouping a State. He based his argument on the ground that caste was the only consideration left to divide States since their division on the basis of languages was over. That was precisely what the British did to divide army units after their break-up on the basis of regions was completed. The Mahar, Jat regiments came up as a result. He expressed fears whether it was the right time to set up a second SRC. Was it good to divide two sections of Telugu-speaking people, he asked. The matter should be left to them, he said.

Time factor

In any case, Mr. Vithal said the second SRC might take a long time to submit its report as many issues were involved in it. The Sarkaria Commission was a classic example of how the commissions functioned.Pending settlement of the demand, he asked why the political leadership was not seeking revival of the Telangana Regional Committee that envisaged a separate budget for the region. The State’s budget was divided into two, one for Telangana and another for Andhra, when the committee functioned under the Presidential Order. The budget representing Telangana was surplus, he added.

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