GoM clears draft Telangana Bill

UPA is making a last ditch attempt to assuage grievances of Seemandhra legislators by offering the region a favourable financial package

Having already declared its intent of introducing the controversial Telangana Bill in the last session of Parliament before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is making a last-ditch attempt to assuage the grievances of its Seemandhra (the Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions) legislators by offering the region a favourable financial package. The government hopes this will enable a clear passage for the Bill in Parliament, despite the fact that the proposal was rejected by the Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly.

Meanwhile, a group of ministers on Tuesday cleared the draft Telangana Bill to be placed before the cabinet on Thursday.

On the eve of the Parliament session, Digvijay Singh, Congress general secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh, called the Telangana and Seemandhra factions for a discussion at the party's 'war room'. It was learnt the meeting was inconclusive.

On Tuesday, hectic parleys took place, with Telangana Rashtriya Samiti chief K Chandrashekhar Rao meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. "He (Singh) said the government was seriously committed…we are, under any circumstances, creating the Telangana state."

Speaking to reporters after an all-party meeting convened by the Speaker on Tuesday, Prime Minister Singh left no room for doubt the government intended to go ahead with the Bill. "I sincerely hope after a long debate spreading many years, the House, in its wisdom, will be able to transact business and pass the Bill."

However, leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, hit out at the government. "The Congress should not give sermons to the Opposition on disruptions in Parliament when their party leaders are supporting as well as opposing Telangana," she said.

Earlier in the day, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath had, in a veiled attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party, appealed to political parties to provide "genuine support…not for the sake of support".

Swaraj said, "We have given them assurance of full support from our side, but the Congress party is giving full support and full opposition, as far as Telangana is concerned." The Congress government at the Centre had sent a Bill approved by the prime minister to Andhra Pradesh, but that was rejected by the Chief Minister of the same party, Swaraj said.

Members of Parliament from Telangana, led by the Congress’ Hanumantha Rao, held a press conference here on Tuesday. They termed chief minister Kiran Reddy a "dictator" and his move to reject the Bill "unconstitutional", as the Cabinet wasn't consulted on the resolution.