New Delhi, October 01: Amid pressure from various quarters for an early decision on Telangana issue, government on Saturday said more consultations with various parties are needed on the contentious statehood demand and the exercise would take “some time” to end.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Political Secretary to Congress President Ahmed Patel discussed the situation in Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh at the North Block here.
The Telangana statehood demand, which has divided Congress in Andhra Pradesh on regional lines, was deliberated at the party’s Core Group meeting yesterday which also discussed a report submitted by Azad based on his interactions with party lawmakers from the state.
“We are in the process of consultations. Yesterday, we discussed it in the Core Group. Today also, some of my (colleagues) discussed it with me. Further consultations would be needed. We are in the process of it,” Mukherjee told reporters after the meeting.
He said government was “fully aware” of the gravity of the situation and the agitation which has paralysed life in all the 10 districts of Telangana region, including state capital Hyderabad.
“Therefore, we will have to go for more consultations that will take some time,” he said.
The meeting took place as TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao arrived here to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other leaders to demand an early solution to the statehood issue.
Azad said his consultations lasted two months and “it is not an easy decision to be taken.”
—–PTI—-