Govt unlikely to form States Reorganisation Commission

Government is unlikely to set up another States Reorganisation Commission to look into the growing demands for creation of separate states in different parts of the country.

A top government functionary said the decision to create the Telangana state, bifurcating Andhra Pradesh, was an isolated move taken under special circumstances and that cannot be the basis for formation of new states.

"There is no move for setting up of States Reorganisation Commission in near future for consideration of the demands for new states," he said.

After the decision to create Telangana, the protagonists of Gorkhaland and Bodoland have intensified their efforts for creation of separate states.

While the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha announced indefinite bandh in Darjeeling Hills from Saturday to press for a separate Gorkhaland state, a delegation of Bodo leaders on Wednesday met Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and urged him to take urgent steps for creation of the new state as in the case of Telangana.

Besides, demands have been raised for creation of Harit Pradesh, Bundelkhand, Purvanchal and Vidarbha

Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh had on Tuesday said it was unlikely that more states would be created in the wake of demands for creation of smaller states.

The States Reorganisation Commission is a body constituted by the central government in 1953 to recommend reorganization of state boundaries.

In 1955, after nearly two years of study, the commission recommended that India's state boundaries should be reorganised to form 16 states and three Union Territories. Some of its recommendations were implemented in the States Reorganisation Act of 1956.

Image: A Telangana activist protests in New Delhi

Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters