Telangana draft bill to Andhra assembly by month-end

The draft bill for formation of a separate Telangana state is likely to be sent to Andhra Pradesh assembly by month-end and the bill will be tabled in the winter session of parliament, Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh said Friday.

"We hope to send the bill to the Andhra Pradesh assembly in the fourth week of this month," Digvijaya Singh told reporters in New Delhi.

Digvijaya Singh, in-charge of party affairs in Andhra Pradesh, also said the Telangana bill would be tabled in the winter session of parliament.

His statement came amid intensified efforts by the Group of Ministers (GoM) to work out modalities for the bifurcation of the state.

The GoM has called a meeting of secretaries of various departments of the central government Monday to take a final view on issues related to the bifurcation.

It will also hear views of eight political parties Nov 12 and 13. The GoM will meet central ministers from the state Nov 18.

On the A.K. Antony committee constituted to look into various issues related to bifurcation, Digvijaya Singh said it would submit its report to the Congress party.

The party general secretary ruled out any change of leadership in the state. He said the agenda of the Congress coordination committee meeting in New Delhi was not to change the chief minister.

He was also confident that Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, who is opposed to the bifurcation, would not go against the party decision.

"He has a right to say what he wants to say but the Congress Working Committee is the supreme body and everybody has to follow its decision," he said.

"He is a loyal worker of the Congress party. His father was also a loyalist Congressman. He may have raised some points but he will not go against the the party decision."