Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has said that a Bill for the creation of the new state of Telangana, bifurcating Andhra Pradesh, will be tabled in the winter session of Parliament. The session will begin on the 5th of next month. Talking to reporters in New Delhi yesterday, Mr Shinde indicated that the process for creating the new state is being expedited.

Earlier, the Group of Ministers-GoM, set up to look into the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, has held a series of meetings with different stakeholders, including eight political parties of the State. The GoM headed by Mr Shinde, will hear the views of the Union Ministers from Andhra Pradesh on the 18th of this month and Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy the next day.

AIR Correspondent reports, ever since the Congress Working Committee decided in July this year to form the separate Telangana state, speedy developments began taking place amidst protests in Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra regions. A Group of Ministers set up under the leadership of Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde expedited the process after Union Cabinet approved in October to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh. The GoM also obtained opinions from eight main political parties over 11 points of reference and concerns relating to bifurcation.

The ruling Congress party once again presented split opinion over bifurcation while the main opposition TDP has not come before the GoM at all. Among others, TRS, BJP and CPI put before the GoM their demands for the new state, while MIM insisted to form Rayala Telangana with 12 districts. While taking a U-turn, the YSR Congress party favoured united Andhra and CPM stuck to its stand to keep the state united.