MIM proposes 15 amendments to Telangana Bill

Hyderabad, Jan 10 (INN): The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen has proposed 15 Amendments to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2013. MIM MLAs led by their floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi submitted the proposed amendments to Speaker Nandendla Manohar and Legislative Council chairman Dr A Chakrapani in the State Legislative Assembly here on Friday.

The MIM said that the title should be "The Andhra Pradesh Reorganistion Bill, 2014 (not 2013) for the reasons that the Bill is going to be introduced in the Parliament in the current year 2014, soon after the Republic Day, January 26th. This would mean that the Bill is being enacted in the Sixty-fifth Year of the Republic of India (and not sixty-fourth).

The MIM said that the wherever the numerals 2013 occur in the draft bill, those shall be substituted with the numerals 2014.

It also proposed that only Khairatabad revenue mandal area in the city of Hyderabad shall be the interim capital of the State of Andhra Pradesh for a period not exceeding two years.

The party argued that there is no precedent of a city located in one state serving as common capital for two states. No other State in the country is having its capital located in the territory of another State. There is also no provision in the Constitution of India to facilitate this.

The MIM said that after expiry of the period, Hyderabad shall be the sole capital of the State of Telangana and there shall be a new capital for the State of Andhra Pradesh.

"We have suggested that only a small area would be required to be designated as interim capital for facilitating the various wings of the government of the State of Andhra Pradesh to function for a limited period of two years and there is no need to earmark the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation area for the purpose," the MIM said.

Further, the MIM leaders said that the choice of the new capital should be done expeditiously so that preparatory work can be started for a permanent capital for the residuary State in its own territory at the earliest.

"We would rather suggest that the Central government should decide the new capital for the residuary State and incorporate this provision in the AP Reorganisation Bill itself," it said.

The MIM also objected to common Governor both the State as it would make him a "Super Governor". It also opposed vesting the Governor with special powers.

"This would make Hyderabad into a 'de facto' Union territory by facilitating virtually 'President's Rule or Governor Raj' over Hyderabad, thereby undermining the proposed Telangana Government's control over its own state capital in respect of police administration.

With regard to High Court, the MIM said that the Central Government should take steps for bifurcation of AP High Court into separate High Courts for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh because there is a virtual divide between the Bar and the Bench on regional lines in the existing High Court.

The High Court of the residuary State can be housed in Hyderabad for a short period before it is moved out to a designated city in the residuary State.

Likewise, the judges of the existing AP High Court would need to be allotted to the respective High Courts of Hyderabad (Telangana) and residuary AP State, upon the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, on the basis of their nativity. This would ensure fairplay in the constitution of the bench of both the High Courts.

The MIM also wants the AP Bhavan to be the asset of Telangana State. Hyderabad House, earlier known as the Palace of Nizam of Hyderabad, was the princely residence of the Seventh Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, in Delhi. Spread over 8.77 acres, it was the largest and the grandest palace built, the party said.