AP Assembly given six weeks to take a call on Telangana bill

The Andhra Pradesh Assembly has been given six weeks time to take a call on the state reorganisation bill that seeks to create a separate Telangana state.

Official sources said that President Pranab Mukherjee suggested this time limit last night when he remitted the bill back to the Union government to be on passed to the AP legislature.

The bill will be now sent to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and the Speaker N Manohar's office has already been informed about it.

The Winter Session of the state legislature begins today.

The President had sought legal opinions as he wanted the bill, which provides for creation of Telangana by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh, to be legally sound before sending it to the state Assembly for approval.

The Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Bill has already seen a virtual revolt from the state Congress' own Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy who had said recently during a public rally that he would not allow Andhra Pradesh to be divided.

"We will see how the bill is passed in Parliament. United Andhra Pradesh is not just a slogan, it's our policy," Reddy had said.

However, experts opine that whatever the Assembly does, Parliament can go ahead with its legislative process for creation of the new state.

The Union Cabinet had on December 5 given the go-ahead for the creation of a 10-district Telangana and outlined the blueprint for carving out the country's 29th state.

Telangana will comprise 10 districts and the rest of Andhra Pradesh will consists of 13 districts. Hyderabad will remain the common capital for both the states for a period not exceeding 10 years.

The Governor of Telangana Will have a special responsibility for security of life, liberty and property of all those who reside in the common capital area. The Governor may be assisted by two advisors to be appointed by the Centre.