NEW DELHI: With the CWC giving thumbs up to Telangana, the formal process for creation of India's 29th state will get underway in earnest. Estimated to take a bare minimum of 122 days once the resolution for creation of the new state is passed by the Andhra Pradesh state legislature, the state reorganization proposal will have to be approved thrice by the Union Cabinet apart from being ratified by the state legislature and, finally, Parliament.

The first step would be a reference by the Union government to the state legislature to pass a resolution for formation of a separate state of Telangana. On the basis of this proposal, the Union home ministry will prepare a Cabinet note over the next seven days and submit it for approval. A Cabinet meeting will take up this note and form a Group of Ministers (GoM) - comprising the ministers of home affairs, finance, education, health, irrigation, power, environment and forest, railways, HRD, chemicals and fertilizers, food and consumer affairs and labour — besides deputy chairman of Planning Commission - to examine the economic issues linked to creation of the new state. This GoM is likely to submit its recommendations in a 30-day timeframe.

The Union home ministry will study the GoM's recommendations over the next 15 days and accordingly frame the Cabinet note, to be moved with draft Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill. The note will request the Union Cabinet to approve the draft Bill, recommend to the President to refer the Bill to the state legislature, ask the finance ministry to appoint an expert panel to recommend measures for smooth transition in terms of financial management and viability of the reorganized states and seek setting up of a dedicated unit in the Planning Commission to manage economic and financial factors in the rest of Andhra Pradesh. This unit will ensure multifaceted development of the region with the help of better financial management and adequate devolution of Central funds. The Cabinet approval for this is expected within seven days.

Over the next couple of days, the draft Bill — through the home minister and the prime minister — will be sent to the President, requesting him to refer it to the state legislature under Article 3 of the Constitution. The state legislature will have 30 days to consider the draft Bill and give its views, which will then be vetted by the law ministry over the next seven days. The Cabinet note with the draft reorganization Bill — vetted by the law ministry — will be put up for approval and is expected to be cleared by the Cabinet in five days.

Once the draft organization Bill is approved by the Cabinet, a notice for its introduction in Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha will be given. This may take a couple of days. The consideration and passage of the Bill is expected over the next 15 days, followed by Presidential assent over the next two days. Thus, the process of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh to create a separate state of Telangana will be complete.