Hyderabad: President Pranab Mukherjee was flooded with petitions to expedite the Telangana process.
A 38-member delegation of Telangana Joint Action Committee, led by Prof. Kodandaram, and a nine-member delegation, led by CPI state council secretary Dr K. Narayana,
former PCC president D. Srinivas and others met the President on Monday.
T-supporters thanked the President for sending the draft of the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Bill-2013 to the state Assembly for its opinion, and requested him
to speed up the T-process.
They complained against Seemandhra MLAs and MLCs trying to stall the proceedings, disallowing a discussion as per the constitutional norms and disrespecting him.
The President accepted the memoranda submitted by TJAC and the CPI.
Ever since the President arrived in Hyderabad on his 12-day southern sojourn on December 20, he has been flooded with representations from anti-and pro-Telangana
groups making his trip a T-affair.
Members of the various delegations who met the President said the President did not offer any comment on the issue.
The President had a meeting with Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, Leader of Opposition, N. Chandrababu Naidu, former PCC chief, D. Srinivas among others.
Notwithstanding opposition from people of Seemandhra to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh to form Telangana, the Centre is sticking to the schedule. So, it means that Telangana will be born during the Winter Session in December. 
The same has been confirmed by Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who said: "I am telling you today that the Telangana Bill will be introduced in the Winter session, there is no change in that." The Group of Ministers, which has discussed pros and cons of a new state, will put the Bill together by November 20 and it will be sent to the Cabinet. Among various issues, declaring Hyderabad as the joint capital with jurisdiction and powers enjoyed by both Telangana and Seemandhra governments, without making it Union Territory seems to be the main concern of the GoM as there is still confusion on the status of Hyderabad as the joint capital. The home ministry will submit the Bill indicating recommendations of the GoM to the Cabinet, requesting approval for the state Bill. The Cabinet will recommend to the President Pranab Mukherjee to refer the Bill to the State Legislature and the Ministry of finance to appoint an expert committee to recommend measures for smooth transition.After the President sends it, the State Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council will give their opinion. Though Andhra CM Kiran Kumar Reddy (in pic), who is against the state's division, wanted the Bill to be put to vote, the demand was rejected. Hence the Assembly can only give its views. Will Kiran float a new party?After being passed by both Houses of Parliament, the Bill will be sent to the President for his final assent. The whole process will take over a month. In pics: It takes 7 months Meanwhile, the Congress Core Committee, which includes Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, will meet on November 22 to discuss various issues of bifurcation, including the capital. CWC has proposed Hyderabad to be the joint capital of Telangana and Seemandhra for 10 years and A K Antony committee has recommended that revenue of Hyderabad must be shared between the two states.On employment, the GoM held a detailed meeting with Attorney General G. Vahanavati, who has said that Art 371(D) could be amended along with the Telangana Bill by applying the provisions for both the states.Article 371D confers special powers on the state of Andhra Pradesh to provide for equitable opportunities and facilities for people belonging to different parts of the state in the matter of public employment and education.If the Centre decides to do away with 371(D) through a special legislation, it may require a special majority in both Houses of Parliament, but if it is amended as part of the creation of Telangana state and reorganisation of AP State under Art 4, there should not be a problem, the Attorney General seems to have suggested. The GoM has taken into consideration various suggestions by political parties. That included Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who is against the idea of Hyderabad becoming a Union Territory, seeking Urdu as the first language along with Telugu in the new state of Telangana. While the government has decided that Hyderabad would remain the joint capital of Telangana and Seemandhra for 10 years, Telangana Rashtra Samithi wants the new capital for Seemandhra to be ready in two to three years. It wants relocation of all gazetted officers who are wrongly recruited and promoted, in violation of various safeguards provided to Telangana employees.
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