Kiran Reddy gives notice for sending back Telangana bill to president

In an unprecedented move, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy Saturday submitted a notice to assembly Speaker N. Manohar for moving a resolution to send back the Telangana bill to the president, opposing the state's bifurcation

With just four days to go for completing the debate on Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2013, the chief minister submitted the notice under section 77 of the assembly rules.

In the legislative council, Endowments Minister C. Ramachandraiah submitted a similar notice to Chairman A. Chakrapani.

The legislature has time till Jan 30 to debate and send its opinion to the president.

If the presiding officers of the two houses permit, a resolution will be moved to send back the bill to the president without opinion.

Earlier, taking an aggressive stand against bifurcation of the state, a defiant chief minister lashed out at the central government for sending the bill without following the constitutional and parliamentary procedures.

Resuming his speech on the bill, Kiran Reddy said the bill was full of mistakes and lacunae. He also criticized the central government for sending the bill without information and for turning down the request of the legislators for information about some contents of the bill.

He said the bill can't be discussed in the house in the present form. "The centre is not clear whether it is a draft bill or the bill," he remarked.

Kiran Reddy pointed out that the bill does not contain the objects and reasons, the scope of proposals or the financial memorandum.

"It has not been specified in the bill why the centre wants to divide the state. How could we express our views on the bill without the centre stating its views," he said.

President Pranab Mukherjee on Dec 12 had sent the bill to the state legislature for its opinion under Article 3 of the Constitution. The legislature was asked to send its opinion by Jan 23.

The state government sought four more weeks to debate the bill. The president Thursday extended the deadline till Jan 30.