Andhra speaker in Bihar to study model for bifurcation debate

Andhra Pradesh assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar Friday met his Bihar counterpart in Patna as part of his tour to other states to study the process adopted for conducting debate on bifurcation bills.

Facing a tricky situation over the bill sent to Andhra Pradesh assembly by President Pranab Mukherjee for formation of separate Telangana state, the speaker is on a study tour to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Manohar held talks with his Bihar counterpart Udai Narayan Chaudhary to understand how Bihar assembly discussed the reorganization bill to carve out separate state of Jharkhand in 2000, officials said.

He Thursday visited Lucknow and met his Uttar Pradesh counterpart to know the modalities adopted for debate on Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Bill to form separate state of Uttarakhand.

The speaker, who is accompanied by Legislature Secretary S. Rajasadaram, is going into issues like the time allotted to different parties for the debate and examining provisions relating to voting on the bill.

The second phase of winter session of Andhra Pradesh assembly, beginning Jan 3, is scheduled to debate Andhra Pradesh Reorgansation Bill 2013 sent by Mukherjee for its views.

The bill was tabled in the house on Dec 16 but it could not be taken up for debate as legislators from Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra) opposing state's bifurcation stalled the proceedings for four days.

Speaking in the legislative council on Dec 19, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy had suggested the presiding officers of both the houses to study the models of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh assemblies which discussed similar bills in the past.

Manohar is facing a difficult situation as Seemandhra legislators of the opposition parties are determined to stall the debate while those belonging to ruling Congress party are demanding voting on each and every clause of the bill.

The second phase of the winter session will continue till Jan 23, the last day of the time prescribed for sending back the bill to the president.