Dhar Commission
The Dhar Commission, also referred to as the Linguistic Provinces Commission, was established by the Indian government in 1948 to provide recommendations on the re-organization of states based on linguistic criteria. The commission was headed by S.K. Dhar and was set up to investigate the possibility of re-organizing states based on language. The commission's report was submitted in December 1948.
The commission's recommendations sparked much controversy and led to the formation of another committee, known as the JVP Committee, consisting of Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel, and Pattabhi Sitaramayya. The Dhar Commission's report advocated for re-organizing states based on administrative convenience, rather than linguistic considerations. The commission suggested that states should be re-organized based on factors such as geographical contiguity, financial self-reliance, administrative viability, and potential for development.
The commission's report stated that the formation of provinces based solely on linguistic considerations could potentially threaten national unity and would also be administratively inconvenient. The report was in line with the views of key figures in the Constituent Assembly who were against the formation of linguistic provinces.
Despite the commission's recommendations, the demand for linguistic provinces remains a significant issue in India today. The Dhar Commission's report was an important milestone in the history of state re-organization in India, highlighting the importance of administrative considerations in the re-organization of states. The report also emphasized the need to prioritize national unity over linguistic considerations.
Wanchoo Committee
The Wanchoo Committee was a three-member committee of jurists appointed by the Government of India in April 1969 to examine the issues of public employment and constitutional safeguards in Andhra Pradesh, especially in relation to the Telangana region. The committee was headed by Justice Kailash Nath Wanchoo, the former Chief Justice of India, and the other members were M.C. Setalvad, the former Attorney General of India, and Niren De, the then Attorney General of India. The committee was formed as part of the eight-point formula announced by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on April 12, 1969, to resolve the Telangana agitation that demanded a separate statehood for the region.
The Wanchoo Committee submitted its report in August 1969, in which it made several recommendations regarding the implementation of the Mulki rules, the residential status required for public employment, and the constitutional remedies for safeguarding the interests of Telangana. The main findings and suggestions of the report were as follows:
The committee observed that the constitution cannot be amended to implement the Mulki rules, which were a set of regulations that gave preference to the locals of Hyderabad State in public employment, because of the judgment given by the Supreme Court in the Golaknath case, which did not allow any amendment to Article 16 that deals with equality of opportunity in matters of public employment.
The committee suggested that the Mulki rules should be replaced by a new set of rules that would ensure adequate representation of Telangana people in public services, without violating the constitutional provisions. The committee proposed that a person should be considered as a local candidate for a post if he or she satisfies any one of the following conditions:
He or she has resided in Telangana for not less than 15 years.
He or she has studied in Telangana for not less than seven years.
He or she is a child or a dependent of a person who has resided in Telangana for not less than 15 years.
The committee recommended that these new rules should be applied retrospectively from November 1, 1956, the date of formation of Andhra Pradesh, and that all appointments made in violation of these rules should be reviewed and rectified within a period of two years.
The committee also suggested that a statutory body should be established to monitor and enforce these rules and to deal with any grievances arising out of them.
The committee further recommended that a constitutional amendment should be made to provide for reservation of seats for Telangana people in the state legislature and in the Parliament, in proportion to their population
The Wanchoo Committee report was not accepted by either the Telangana leaders or the Andhra leaders. The former felt that the report did not address their core demand of a separate statehood, while the latter felt that the report was unfair and discriminatory towards them. The report also faced legal challenges from various quarters. The Telangana agitation continued unabated until it was suppressed by the imposition of President's rule in January 1970.
The Wanchoo Committee report is an important document that reflects the historical and constitutional aspects of the Telangana issue.
Lalith Committee
Lalit Committee was formed in 1969 by the then Chief Minister of Combined Andhra Pradesh Sri Kasu Brahmananda Reddy. Important points of Kumar Lalith Committee recommendations are as below.
Bhargava Committee
Justice Bhargava committee headed by Justice Vashishtha Bhargava which looked into Telangana surpluses. It is found that 283 million rupees diverted from Telangana to Andhra region between 1956 and 1968.
