Telangana bill in winter session, says Jaipal Reddy

Science and Technology Minister S. Jaipal Reddy Thursday said the bill for formation of Telangana state will be passed in parliament's winter session.

He said the Group of Ministers (GoM) would draft the bill after looking into various issues like sharing of river water, gas, electricity and revenue.

The draft bill will then go to the cabinet and after it is approved, will be sent to president, who will then refer it to the Andhra Pradesh assembly. The bill will then be introduced in the parliament.

Jaipal Reddy was talking to reporters here after the union cabinet decided to carve out separate Telangana state. The senior leader who is the only cabinet minister from Telangana spoke in favour of formation of separate state in the meeting.

He termed Oct 3 a historic day for Telangana and said the decision was taken in tune with the aspirations of the people of the region, who had been striving for their own state for 60 years.

"It's a victory of Telangana people but not defeat of others," Jaipal Reddy said and assured people of Seemandhra living in Hyderabad that justice will be done to all.

"Nobody can do injustice to anybody as there is the Constitution to take care of all people," he added.