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JAC refuses to react to Srikrishna Commission

Hyderabad, 04 February 2009: The all-party Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) has refused to react to the constitution of the Srikrishna Commission to go into the Telangana issue stating there was no point in it unless the terms of reference of the commission were spelt out.

JAC convenor M. Kodandaram told a press conference here that the committee was not even in a position to decide whether the commission was right or wrong in the absence of terms of reference. He, however, expressed satisfaction that the Central Government had initiated some action on the demand for separate Telangana after the JAC had set a deadline.

Mr. Kodandaram said the JAC was of the view that the panels were generally constituted to waste time as seen from the past when committees headed by Union Minister Pranab Mukherjee and then Finance Minister K. Rosaiah were supposed to go into the demand. Therefore, he did not expect anything better from the Srikrishna Commission unless its terms were decided.

He insisted that the JAC did not suspect the integrity, commitment and competence of the chairman and members of the commission but at the same time it felt the character of individuals hardly mattered in such an endeavour. He promised to give the JAC’s reaction after the terms were made known.

Mr. Kodandaram said the JAC would go ahead with its scheduled agitation that included running kitchens and games on the Hyderabad-Karimnagar-Mancherial and Hyderabad-Warangal highways on Thursday. The agitators would close the two roads for traffic from 10 AM. to 2PM, he added.

Asked whether the Congress was still part of the JAC after its general secretary in-charge of State Veerappa Moily asked the party leaders to dissociate themselves from the panel, Mr. Kodandaram said there was nothing in doubt as the leaders had openly defied Mr. Moily. They continued to be active members of the JAC, he said.