MLAs seek changes in draft Telangana Bill

Hyderabad,  Barring Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, Leader of Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu and APCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana, almost all members of the state Legislative Assembly Friday proposed amendments running into hundreds to each clause of the draft AP Reorganisation Bill-2013.

The Seemandhra legislators proposed deletion of clause 1 of the draft Bill that stands for enactment of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, in effect seeking to keep the state united.

The Telangana side, however, termed them as views/suggestions, while the Seemandhra side specified the amendments in the format prescribed by Speaker Nadendla Manohar, reflecting the mood of people on either side of the regional divide.

The Assembly, which is currently debating the draft Bill referred to it by the President of India, was today adjourned till January 17 for Sankranti vacation.

The Telangana MLAs, on the other hand, predominantly opposed the clause 8 that seeks to vest decisive powers with the common Governor and clause 5 (1) that makes Hyderabad the common capital for a period not exceeding ten years.

The Telangana Congress suggested that Hyderabad may be made the common capital temporarily for a period not exceeding ten years or till completion of the new capital for residuary state, whichever is earlier. The Telangana Rashtra Samiti wanted Hyderabad as common capital only for a period of three years.

The Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen totally opposed the common capital, as also the common High Court and common Governor provisions in the draft Bill.

The Telangana side also suggested that clause 8 be either deleted or, in the alternative, changed to provided that the Governor shall, in the discharge of his functions, be guided by the aid and advice of Council of Ministers of the state of Telangana as per regular constitutional scheme.

The draft Bill suggests that the Governor could exercise his individual judgement in discharge of his functions after consulting the Council of Ministers. The Telangana side has been totally opposing this provision saying it would be nothing but Governor's rule. 

The Telangana Telugu Desam legislators also submitted similar suggestions to the Speaker. The Seemandhra legislators sought negation of all provisions in the draft Bill citing reasons that it was against the recommendations of the first States Reorganisation Commission; against the concept of linguistic states; there is no provision in the Constitution of India (related to common capital and the role of Governor); it is against the unity of Telugu people; it is against the united state of Andhra Pradesh.

YSR Congress honary president YS Vijayamma in the Assembly , while seeking deletion of all the clauses contained in the draft Bill, reasoned that the bifurcation process was being initiated not only against the established constitutional conventions, procedures and federal spirit, but also because the proposed division will force incalculable injustice on the residual state.

The residual state will be deprived of the engine of economic growth, proportional revenues, due share of river waters, employment opportunities for youth, social, educational and health care infrastructure. The division goes against the interests of a vast majority of people of the state residing in all three regions.

The division is initiated against the recommendations of the Justice Srikrishna Committee which observed that the best among the available options is to keep the state united in the larger interests of the people, Vijayamma added.

All the YSRC legislators submitted their amendment proposals in the same format with similar reasons.