New Delhi: With the Telengana issue still a political hot potato, Congress today reacted cautiously on the issue of formation of a second State Reorganisation Commission (SRC) but said creation of any new state was not possible without setting up of such a commission.

It would be "difficult" for creation of any new state without formation of the commission, party spokesman Shakeel Ahmed told reporters making it clear that the government has not taken any decision so far. Ahmed, who faced a volley of questions at the AICC briefing, said the Congress was for amicable resolution of such issues by consultations with all stakeholders, including the concerned states.

He said government is in consultation with the administrative reforms commission and would do what it thought is fit. There have been demands and agitations for carving out separate states including Telengana, Vidarbha and Harit Pradesh.

The issue of smaller states has been a politically ticklish matter and senior minister Pranab Mukherjee heading the UPA sub-committee on the issue had sometime back made it clear that the job was complex and "not like instant coffee". TRS, an estranged partner of the UPA, has been maintaining that separate Telengana should be carved out of Andhra Pradesh without going into the SRC.

Ahmed's comments were at variance with senior leader Veerappa Moily, who in Hyderabad, said the matter was under serious consideration of the government. "Last week, I had discussions with Pranab Mukherjee and there was indication that a decision will be taken soon," he said.

Source : PTI