GoM discusses issues concerning Telangana

The ministerial panel is believed to have discussed the demands of Union Ministers from Seemandhra which include making Hyderabad a Union Territory

The GoM on Telangana today held discussion on various issues concerning bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh with Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde declaring that the separate statehood Bill will be tabled in the current session of Parliament.

The ministerial panel is believed to have discussed the demands of the Union ministers from Seemandhra that include making Hyderabad a Union Territory for a limited period and incorporating Bhadrachalam sub-division with residuary Andhra Pradesh.

“Before this session of Parliament is over, we will bring the Telangana Bill to the House,” Shinde told reporters after an hour-long meeting of the ministerial panel, which he heads. The home minister, however, did not make any comment when asked whether the UPA government would be able to pass the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill in Parliament because of disruption caused by Seemandhra MPs in the House. He did not say anything about what transpired in today deliberations. “Our discussions are going on,” Shinde said.

Today’s meeting of the GoM was held a day after Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy staged a dharna at Jantar Mantar opposing bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. The state Assembly has already rejected the Bill for the separate state.

In a last-ditch effort to prevent Hyderabad from being a part of Telangana, Union ministers of the Seemandhra region had yesterday urged the ministerial panel to make the city a Union Territory and divide its revenue among Telangana and residuary Andhra Pradesh. They had also demanded that the Bhadrachalam sub-division in the state should be incorporated into the Seemandhra region as this is the submerged area of Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project, which will be part of residuary Andhra Pradesh.

Seemandhra Union ministers said the central government must provide a special package to the region, particularly Rayalaseema, and adequate funds for construction of a new capital.

They said people of the region should be allowed to avail the existing academic and health facilities to be part of Telangana till new institutes come up in Seemandhra. The ministers urged the GoM that all these demands should be incorporated in the draft Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill.

The GoM deliberated the demands of the ministers, sources said. The Union Cabinet will discuss the draft legislation after the GoM gives its nod to pave the way for its tabling in Parliament. After the Union Cabinet’s approval, the legislation will be sent to the President for his nod before being taken up by Parliament, probably next week.

Experts are of the opinion that despite the Assembly’s rejection of the Bill, Parliament can go ahead with its legislative process for creation of the new state. The Parliament session, which began yesterday, is scheduled to conclude on February 21. This is the last session before the tenure of UPA-II comes to an end.