The Central Government formed a bifurcation committee, known as the Group of Ministers (GOM), on 8th October 2013. The committee was chaired by A.K. Antony (Defence Minister), with the following members:
- Sushil Kumar Shinde (Home Minister)
- P. Chidambaram (Finance Minister)
- Veerappa Moily (Petroleum Minister)
- Jairam Ramesh (Rural Development Minister)
- Ghulam Nabi Azad (Health Minister)
- Narayana Swamy (PMO Minister)
The GOM sought suggestions from all political parties, and reports with recommendations were submitted accordingly.
Timeline of Events
- 5th December 2013: The Central Cabinet approved the report and submitted it to the President of India.
- 11th December 2013: The President referred the Telangana Draft Bill 2013 to the AP State Assembly for its opinion.
- 30th January 2014: The AP Legislative Assembly rejected the bill and returned it to the Central Government.
- 4th – 6th February 2014: The GOM discussed and approved the bill despite rejection by the AP Assembly.
- 7th February 2014: The Central Cabinet accepted the Telangana Bill as approved by the GOM.
- 9th February 2014: The bill was sent to the President.
- 13th February 2014: Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde introduced the bill in the Lok Sabha.
- 18th February 2014: The Lok Sabha passed the bill by voice vote. The same day, it was introduced in the Rajya Sabha.
- 20th February 2014: Rajya Sabha approved the bill, announced by Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien.
- 1st March 2014: The President signed and approved the Telangana Bill. The same day, President’s Rule was imposed on the united Andhra Pradesh.
- 2nd March 2014: The Central Government released the Gazette Notification for Telangana without specifying the formation day.
- 4th March 2014: The formation day of Telangana was officially announced as 2nd June 2014.
Decisions Taken by GOM
The Group of Ministers formulated key decisions, which included:
- Hyderabad as the Common Capital: Both states would share Hyderabad as a common capital for 10 years.
- New Capital for Andhra Pradesh: The GOM outlined legal, economic, and administrative procedures for the formation of a new capital for Andhra Pradesh.
- Water and Irrigation:
- Polavaram Project was granted National Project status.
- Water-sharing mechanisms between the two states were outlined.
- Law and Order: Measures were taken to ensure security, peace, and stability in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
- Electricity Distribution: Guidelines for power production, supply, and distribution were discussed.
- Division of Government Employees: Recommendations were made regarding allotment of All India Services and State Government employees between the two states.
- Article 371-D: The implementation of Presidential Orders under Article 371-D was reviewed to prevent administrative issues.
GOM Discussions with Political Parties
The GOM met with representatives of major parties, who presented different viewpoints:
Congress Party
- Telangana Congress leaders supported statehood with 10 districts, including Hyderabad.
- Some members opposed bifurcation, citing post-division complications.
- A few suggested making Hyderabad a Union Territory and sharing its revenue between both states.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
- BJP demanded an all-party meeting with national political parties before passing the bill in Parliament.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS)
- TRS insisted on reducing Hyderabad’s common capital period from 10 years to 5 years.
- The party demanded that Bhadrachalam remain part of Telangana.
- Opposed water-sharing with projects built without Telangana’s consent.
Telugu Desam Party (TDP)
- Boycotted the GOM meeting.
- Chandrababu Naidu wrote to the President, accusing Congress of acting unconstitutionally and demanded equal justice in the division process.
Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (MIM)
- Opposed central administration over Hyderabad.
- Argued that the division would hurt Muslims and Dalits more in Telangana than in Seemandhra.
- Called for an Anti-Communal Violence Bill alongside the bifurcation bill.
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP)
- Strongly supported a united Andhra Pradesh and opposed bifurcation.
Political Representatives in GOM Meetings
- Congress: Vatti Vasanth Kumar, Shailajanath
- BJP: Kishan Reddy, K. Haribabu
- TRS: K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), Keshava Rao, Vivek
- MIM: Asaduddin Owaisi
- YSRCP: Mysoora Reddy, G. Ramachandra Rao
- CPM: J. Ranga Reddy, Raghavulu
- CPI: K. Narayana, Jally Wilson
- TDP: Did not attend
Reports Submitted: Congress, BJP, CPI, and MIM submitted their official reports on the separation of Andhra Pradesh. TDP, CPM, and YSRCP did not submit reports.
Other Stakeholders in GOM Meetings
- The secretaries of eight ministries (Police, Finance, Indian Railways, Law, Legislative Affairs, Civil Aviation, National Highways, Navy, and Personnel & Training) participated in discussions.
- The GOM faced pressure regarding Rayala Telangana, Hyderabad’s status, and Polavaram submergence issues before finalizing the division.
Finalization of Telangana Bill
- 11 procedural plans were prepared after extensive consultations.
- The GOM finalized the bill on 4th December 2013 and submitted it to the Union Cabinet on 5th December 2013.
- The Union Cabinet, under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, approved the formation of Telangana with 10 districts, including Hyderabad.
- The bill was forwarded to the President and later to Parliament, leading to the successful passage and creation of Telangana as India’s 29th state on 2nd June 2014.
