Srikrishna panel gives 6 options; govt to take a call in 6 wks

NEW DELHI: The Justice Srikrishna committee is understood to have recommended six options to deal with the Telangana statehood demand on which the government may take a call in about six weeks.

Sources also said the government would like to take a decision on the recommendations of the panel possibly before the Budget session of Parliament starting in February-end.

In its recommendations, the Srikrishna committee is believed not to have equivocally recommended any particular option but gave views -- both for and against along with the historical background -- in each of the six options.

The suggestions of the panel include keeping Andhra Pradesh in the present form, a separate Telangana state and making Hyderabad a Union Territory.

Sources said an extensive examination of socio-economic parameters in all regions of the state led the committee to conclude that there is no material basis for treating only the Telangana districts as "backward".

The Committee was constituted by the Centre on February 3 to look into the demands for the creation of a separate state as well as keeping Andhra Pradesh united.

The panel submitted the two-volume report on December 30 to Home Minister P Chidambaram.

The Home Minister has convened a meeting of all eight political parties of Andhra Pradesh here tomorrow to share the report. However, TRS, BJP and Telugu Desam have announced boycott of the meeting on Telangana.