Speed Up T Process: T Leaders To Prez

Congress leaders from Telangana appealed to President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday to expedite the process of formation of Telangana state.

A delegation of Congress leaders led by Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha called on the president, who is currentl in Hyderabad, and submitted a memorandum.

The delegation that included state ministers, parliament members and legislators "complained" to Mukherjee that even 14 days after he sent the Telangana Bill to the Andhra Pradesh assembly, no debate took place.

Union Minister of State Balram Naik was also part of the delegation.

Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao told reporters that the delegation also informed the president that legislators from Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions) are "deliberately stalling the debate on the bill".

They alleged that Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and other ministers from the Seemandhra region are "trying to mislead people", by stating that they would stall bifurcation of the state.

They also drew the attention of the President to statement by Seemandhra leaders that they would seek more time to debate the bill.

The Telangana leaders requested the President to ensure that the bill is sent back to him by the parliament, with its views in the prescribed time.

"An early decision on the issue is better for both the regions," said Hanumantha Rao.

The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, 2013, approved by the union cabinet earlier this month was sent by the president to the state assembly. He has asked the assembly to return the bill with its views by Jan 23.

Meanwhile, it is being reported that the bill is likely to come up for discussion during the second phase of the assembly's winter session that begins on January 3.