Seemandhra MLAs to prolong debate
HYDERABAD: Pinning all their hopes on Article 371(D) to keep the state united, Seemandhra ministers have vowed to make every effort to stall state's bifurcation. They are evolving strategies to prolong the debate on the draft T-bill in the legislature to the maximum period.
The draft bill was tabled in the morning and several Seemandhra ministers and Congress MLAs met at the chief minister's camp office in the evening. Kiran is learnt to have taken their suggestions on the strategy to be adopted in the House when the bill comes up for discussion on Tuesday.
According to sources, Kiran told them that there were several flaws in the draft AP Reorganisation Bill-2013 and that unless Article 371(D) was amended or deleted, bifurcation would not be possible. Hence, his confidence that the state will remain intact till the next polls.
Speaking to reporters later, ministers TG Venkatesh and Erasu Pratap Reddy said they were confident that the process could be stalled. 'Legislative affairs minister D Sridhar Babu's claim that the debate began on Monday is not correct.
The schedule will be decided by the BAC which will meet on Tuesday,' Venkatesh said, adding that they would participate in the debate and express their views on each and every clause of the bill in detail.
'However, we will try to prolong the debate till January 23, the deadline set by the President. We will seek extension of time for another 20 days to debate the bill clause by clause,' he said and disclosed that the chief minister too was against returning the bill to the President before the deadline.
Kiran also asked them to insist on voting on each every clause of the bill and showed them a letter sent to him by the Union home secretary in this regard. A copy of the letter was sent to the speaker also, Kiran told his confidants.
News Posted: 16 December, 2013
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