Union Minister Jairam Ramesh on Friday informed that a five-member expert committee would be constituted next week to select capital of the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting of Group of Ministers (GoM) on bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh here, Ramesh said that the proposed committee would be given six months time to suggest a suitable location for the new capital after holding consultations with all stake holders. He informed that as many 19 committees have been constituted by the State Government to look into various issues like physical and financial assets, allocation of employees, companies and corporations, contracts, training institutes, security and police and resource mobilization. Of the two committees constituted to bifurcate the employees, one committee is looking into bifurcation of 84,000 state-level employees, while the other is working out modalities for division of Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service and Indian Forest Service officers.
Ramesh said that a consultant has appointed under the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission to study the needs of residuary state of Andhra Pradesh.
He informed that the GoM meeting, chaired by Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, reviewed the progress of works related to bifurcation before June 2, the day when Telangana and Andhra Pradesh will come into being. (INN)