Begin typing your search above and press return to search.

Andhra assembly remains paralysed over Telangana bill

By:  Tupaki Desk   |   7 Jan 2014 12:59 PM GMT
The Andhra Pradesh assembly was adjourned again Tuesday without any debate on the bill for formation of separate Telangana state as the stalemate continued due to strong opposition from Seemandhra legislators.

Speaker N. Manohar adjourned the house thrice, the third time for the day as the house was rocked by utter pandemonium.

The Seemandhra legislators of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and YSR Congress party surrounded the speaker's podium raising slogans in support of united Andhra Pradesh. The lawmakers from Telangana countered them with the demand for immediate debate on the bill.

For the fourth consecutive day, the house was adjourned without taking up the bill for the debate.

The four-hour long meeting of Business Advisory Committee (BAC) Monday failed to break the impasse with Seemandhra legislators of TDP and YSR Congress refusing to budge from their stand.

The TDP wanted the bill to be sent back to President Pranab Mukherjee with a resolution to urge him to reconsider bifurcation of the state while YSR Congress demanded that the house pass a resolution in support of united Andhra Pradesh.

The legislative council also remained parlaysed over the issue. Legislative Affairs Minister S. Sailajanth told the council amid the uproar that the government is ready for debate. He said those stalling the debate were in fact helping in the bifurcation of the state.

President Mukherjee had last month referred Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2013 to the state assembly for its views under article 3 of the constitution. The bill was tabled in the assembly on Dec 16 but no debate could be taken up due to protest by Seemandhra legislators.

The winter session resumed Jan 3 but the deadlock on the bill continued. The president has given time till Jan 23 to the assembly to send back the bill with its views.