No need of constitutional amendment to reflect change in number of states: Prasad

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Monday that there was no need to amend the Constitution to reflect changes in the number of states and that it can be done by bringing about change in the requisite schedule.

Prasad made the remarks in Rajya Sabha in response to a query made by Samajwadi Party member Ram Gopal Yadav.

Yadav said that the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill seeks to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories and the number of states will come down from 29 to 28 on the passage of the Bill.

He asked if the government will bring a constitutional amendment bill to reflect the change.

Prasad said that three states were carved out by the Vajpayee government and there was a bifurcation of a state later also.

"The change in the number of states can be done in the schedule. It does not need a constitutional amendment," he said.