Merger of Khammam mandals with AP rocks Telangana Assembly

The issue of merger of seven mandals of Khammam district with Andhra Pradesh rocked the Telangana Legislative Assembly today after the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and the main opposition Congress engaged in a war of words.
The Congress tried to turn the heat on the TRS government and the ruling party countered the main opposition.
Irrigation and Legislative Affairs Minister T Harish Rao blamed former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh for the merger of the mandals with Andhra Pradesh to construct the Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project.
He alleged that the Congress did not oppose a relevant bill for merger of the mandals with AP when it came up in the Rajya Sabha.

Congress member Chinna Reddy attacked the ruling TRS and also alleged that nobody talked about the role of Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu in the matter.
Harish Rao said that the TRS government had called for a bandh against the merger of the mandals and also held a strong protest in Parliament.

The Congress also took exception to certain comments by Harish Rao against its member Puvvada Ajay Kumar and staged a walkout amidst angry exchanges between the two sides.
Rao said that he did not have any negative view about the Congress member.
Taking exception to comments against Venkaiah Naidu, BJP floor leader K Laxman alleged that the Congress spoke in "different voices".

The House debated Telangana's share from the Lower Sileru electricity project and Harish Rao asserted that the state government would leave no stone unturned to protect the state's interests.