JOIN USTelangana bill unlikely in monsoon session
The government will not be able to introduce a bill for the formation of Telangana in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament, despite the BJP insisting on a debate in both the Houses.
“No, not in this session. I do not think it will come so soon. Maybe in the next session,” Shinde told reporters at a press conference convened to mark his first anniversary as home minister. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj had tweeted on Wednesday demanding a bill in the monsoon session and announced that she would move for a calling attention motion.
Shinde, also a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee, said that the government would try to complete the process in less than six months.
Shinde said: “Usually it takes eight to nine months. But we will try to do at the earliest, may be five and half months to six months. Maybe earlier than that.” The home minister was of the view that it is not necessary for the Andhra Pradesh Assembly to pass a resolution to kick start the process, but emphasised that the government will move forward in accordance to the Constitution.
“Not at all, we are not bypassing. The issue was discussed in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly. Now if the proposal comes from the state, it would be good. But if it does not come, other ways are open. We will discuss and move forward according to the Constitution,” he said.
Though it is unlikely that the Assembly will pass the resolution with a simple majority as MLAs from the Seemandhra region outnumber those from Telangana, it is not binding on the Centre to have the state’s consent for formation of a new state.
The Centre will move a bill in Parliament but prior to that the President will have to reach out to the state Assembly. The state’s view will not impact the delivery of a new geographical entity. The minister also said that they were ready to hear demands for more states and appealed to the people to maintain peace. “I appeal to everyone who are demanding new states that they should not resort to violence.
They can protest but follow the democratic process, peaceful agitation. The government is ready to listen to everyone,” Shinde told reporters. Demands for the creation of five to six states in the North-East, four in Uttar Pradesh, one in West Bengal and two and three states in other parts of the country has been pending for quite some time.
The government, the minister said, was aware of the clamour for Cooch Behar (north Bengal), Bodoland, Gorkhaland and Karbi Anglong.
“It is not that the government is neglecting them. We are ready to listen. Wherever workable, the government will take a decision. We have done in the past in Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and in Chhattisgarh,” he said.