Will Rajya Sabha pass Telanagana bill today
It could not be taken up on Wednesday as the government and the opposition could not reach any consensus over amendments in the bill.
Sonia Gandhi spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and demanded special status for Seemandhra for five years after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
There may be several more such attempts to break the deadlock in the House over the contentious bill with the UPA government expected to address some major concerns of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) related to Seemandhra.
The cabinet is now expected to take a call on Gandhi’s demand on Thursday that could pave the way for the bill’s passage in Rajya Sabha.
A senior leader from BJP said there are a total of 32 amendments which his party wants to incorporate in the bill.
However, if the bill is passed in the Upper House with amendments, it will have to go back to Lok Sabha for its approval before it is sent to the President for his assent, and the government feels this would create more trouble in the passage of the legislation.
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Her intervention came after the BJP sought relief for Seemandhra (comprising coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema) through a one-time grant of Rs. 10,000 crore and other concessions such as tax relief and national status for irrigation projects.
Financial aid for Seemandhra for coming years will be decided by a finance commission, and it will come from the consolidated fund of the central government, not from the state's funds.
Another amendment sought industrial concession for north coastal Andhra, Rayalseema and backward areas of Telangana, sources said.
Special funds for setting up the capital of Seemandhra have also been sought.
Some similar amendments have also been prepared by Congress leaders from Seemandhra.
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However, a Congress MP said they were ready to drop the amendments if the government did not agree.
The BJP’s insistence on measures to make the bill palatable to the Seemandhra constituency came after it ensured its passage in Lok Sabha.
“We will support the bill come what may. We want to extract the best possible deal for Seemandhra,” a top BJP leader told HT.
At a meeting with the Prime Minister, the BJP’s Arun Jaitley and Venkaiah Naidu questioned the legal validity of the Telangana bill, which gives ultimate powers to the governor in law and order matters relating to Hyderabad.
Read: BJP moves to extract its pound of flesh
Pratima Kumari
PGDM: 2ND (sem)
Source: Hindustan times
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