1. Telangana Bill passage in its current form should not send wrong message: Raju
Holding that there are severe shortcomings in the current form of Telangana Bill, Union Minister M Pallam Raju on Tuesday said it should not be passed in a manner that sends a wrong message and permanently hurt sentiments.
"As it is, a wrong message has gone to the Seemandhara people that the manner in which the Bill has proceeded is not proper. I hope that by passing the Bill in a din, another wrong message will not be given which will permanently hurt people's sentiment," Raju told reporters outside Parliament.
The Union Minister from Seemandhara region said there are severe shortcomings in the current form of the Bill for the creation of Telangana and there are concerns of the people who have settled in and around Hyderabad.
"The current provison of giving special powers to the Governor is not adequate for providing an effective security cover to people who have settled in and around Andhra and Rayalseema," Raju said.
"We are requesting that it should have Union Territory status and the Union Territory status can be for a limited timeframe till the alternate capital is established. That is the primary demand," he said.
"And as far as the financial resources are concerned, we will be in a severe constrained position and that has not been addressed satisfactorily," he added.
Asked what would be the course of action if their demands are not met, he said "We'll do our appropriate kind of protests and if necessary we will enter into the Well (of the House) if our demands are not met."
He, however, added that the Group of Ministers (GoM) was still making efforts to bridge the difference.
2. T-bill to be 'immediately' brought in Rajya Sabha, says Parliamentary Affairs minister Kamal Nath
After Lok Sabha passed the Telangana bill, the government today said it will "immediately" bring the legislation in Rajya Sabha.
Parliamentatry Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill will be brought in the Upper House "immediately" along with the 38 amendments approved by Lok Sabha.
Talking to reporters outside Parliament House, he attacked BJP for playing a "double game" on the controversial Telangana issue.
"BJP has said the bill is unconstitutional. But they still supported it. This shows their double game. They stand exposed," Nath said.
The bill to carve out Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh was passed by Lok Sabha amid din and strong protests by members from Seemandhra region, including ministers.
The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, 2014 was adopted by a voice vote along with around 38 official amendments, with main opposition BJP coming on board.
3. Parliament passes Interim Railway Budget smoothly amid Telangana chaos
Parliament today passed the Interim Railway Budget for 2014-15 with Rajya Sabha returning it without discussion amid din over Telangana issue.
The Budget and related appropriation bills were passed by the Lok Sabha yesterday.
Amid uproar over Telangana issue, Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge moved the Supplementary Demands for Grants (Railways) 2013-14 and Appropriation (Railways) Bill, 2014 for passage in the Upper House.
Congress member KVP Ramachandra Rao was standing in the Well holding placard saying: "We want united Andhra Pradesh", while some members from BJP, JD(U), AIADMK and Left parties were on their feet opposing the move to get the bills passed without debate.
As the pandemonium continued, the two bills were passed by voice vote.
The Interim Rail Budget for four months envisages Annual Rail Plan at Rs 64,305 crore with a budgetary support of Rs 30,223 crore.
In his budget speech on February 12, Kharge had said an independent Rail Tariff Authority is being set up to rationalise fares and there was a proposal to expand dynamic pricing of tickets in line with the airline industry.
4. India parliament TV feed cut during vote on new state
The live broadcast of proceedings in the Indian parliament was suddenly halted on Thursday shortly before lawmakers supported a controversial bill to create the country's 29th state.
Days after the parliament was adjourned when one lawmaker opposed to the creation of Telangana state squirted pepper spray, there was fresh uproar when the live feed was cut shortly before the crunch vote.
While there was no official explanation for the blackout, the NDTV news channel said the decision was made by Speaker Meira Kumar who feared a repeat of last Thursday's chaos, which was widely described as a disgrace to democracy.
Telangana is being carved out of the existing southern state of Andhra Pradesh, a move analysts say is designed to increase the ruling Congress party's support in deprived coastal areas in an upcoming election.
Its creation has been fiercely opposed by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Reddy, who is widely expected to quit Congress and form his own faction as a result of the vote.
Jaganmohan Reddy, a local lawmaker who also opposes the division and whose father is a former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, described it as "black day in India's history".
"While the introduction of this bill itself was done undemocratically ...the way the bill has been passed has killed democracy in broad daylight," Jaganmohan Reddy told reporters after the vote had taken place.
Indian television said it was the first time the live feed had been cut since parliamentary proceedings began being televised two decades ago.
5. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy to resign on Wednesday, says minister
The Chief Minister will address a press conference at 10.45 am and then proceed to Raj Bhavan to hand over his resignation to Governor E.S.L Narasimhan, according to state Social Welfare Minister Pitani Satyanarayana
With the Lok Sabha clearing the Telangana Bill, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy will resign on Wednesday, his close aide said. The Chief Minister has invited his loyalist ministers and legislators for a meeting on Wednesday to formally communicate his decision to quit, according to state Social Welfare Minister Pitani Satyanarayana.
"The Chief Minister will address a press conference at 10.45 AM and then proceed to Raj Bhavan to hand over his resignation to Governor E S L Narasimhan," the minister, one of the close followers of Kiran, said. Asked if Kiran would launch a new political party, Pitani said "did he (Kiran) ever speak about it"? "We are and will remain committed to the cause of united AP," he added.
Initially, there was talk that Kiran would step down as Chief Minister on Tuesday once the discussion on AP Reorganisation Bill began in Parliament. But he is said to have deferred his plans following an "advice" by some Seemaandhra MPs, sources close to him said. Though only about three or four of his cabinet colleagues and a handful of MLAs are by his side on the resignation issue, Kiran is said to have made up his mind to quit after a vain fight on the state bifurcation issue.
By relieving two of his Special Secretaries of their duties in a bureaucratic reshuffle last night, the Chief Minister dropped enough hints that he was on his way out. His Principal Secretary and another Special Secretary are also expected to be transferred out on Tuesday.
6. Celebrations in Telangana region after Bill passed in Lok Sabha
Celebrations broke out in Telangana region as the news of Lok Sabha passing the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill trickled in. A festive atmosphere prevailed in Hyderabad and Telangana towns like Warangal with the separate statehood supporters bursting crackers, distributing sweets and taking out victory rallies.
They danced to the tunes of popular songs hailing Telangana. A large number of students gathered in Osmania University here, the nerve-centre of separate statehood agitation, and danced in joy.
Congress activists at some places in Telangana rejoiced distributing sweets and held pictures showing their party president Sonia Gandhi in the image of 'Telangana Talli' (Telangana mother). "Greetings to Telangana people.
This is the result of a long struggle. The Bill will be passed in Rajya Sabha tomorrow. We thank Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj, CPI General Secretary Sudhakar Reddy and each one of those who supported separate Telangana Bill. We are actually at loss of words to express our joy," Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) chairman M Kodandaram said.
7. Mayawati to support Telangana Bill; says Uttar Pradesh should be split further
Coming out in support of a separate Telangana state, BSP chief Mayawati on Tuesday said her party will support the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill in Parliament.
While supporting Telangana, she also demanded further division of Uttar Pradesh into four more states for better administration and development of the region.
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