Panel working on time-bound report to recognise Telangana activists: Keshava Rao

Hyderabad: The committee to identify and recognise Telangana movement activists is working towards submitting its report within a defined timeframe, committee chairman K Keshava Rao said on Thursday.

The panel has already begun consultations with political parties and plans to hold discussions with various organisations and individuals associated with the statehood movement. The committee would collect suggestions from all stakeholders before finalising its recommendations to govt.

Addressing reporters after an all-party meeting at the secretariat, Keshava Rao said the panel, set up by govt, was seeking views from organisations and people connected with the Telangana movement to evolve a fair and transparent process for identifying genuine activists.

“We are considering a time-bound framework for the committee’s report. The objective is to take everyone’s views into account and formulate clear guidelines for recognising Telangana movement activists,” he added.

The committee has already met representatives of political parties that participated in or supported the Telangana movement. Similar consultations would be held with student organisations, advocates, doctors and other groups that played a role in the agitation.

According to Keshava Rao, the first priority was to identify genuine movement activists, including those who participated in the early phases of the Telangana struggle. The committee would prepare a mechanism to verify and document their contributions.

BC welfare minister Ponnam Prabhakar, who is part of the committee, said the consultation process would be expanded to include employee unions, student bodies, journalists, lawyers, poets, artists and cultural activists.

“Govt wants to recognise and honour everyone who contributed to the Telangana movement. We will also consider the cases of those who suffered injuries, faced legal cases or made other sacrifices during the agitation,” he added.

Ponnam Prabhakar said suggestions would be accepted, both online and offline, while the committee’s office would function from the Amaraveerula Sthoopam premises near the secretariat.