Notwithstanding ongoing protests in Seemandhra, Centre has expedited the process of creation of a separate Telangana state with the announcement that the first meeting of the GoM set up to look into the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh will be held on Friday.

"The first meeting of the GoM on Telangana will be held day after tomorrow," Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde toldmediapersons .

Shinde will head the reconstituted Group of Ministers consisting of seven Union Ministers.

Defence Minister AK Antony, Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, M Veerappa Moily and Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh are among the members of the GoM.