Lok Sabha Passes Telangana Bill

Telangana, the 29th state of the country, is now a reality. The Lok Sabha passed the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2013 with a voice vote on Tuesday. Although the Bill also needs to be passed by the Rajya Sabha, but it now looks a mere formality.

At about 3:20pm, the Speaker approved the Telangana Bill. The state has been divided into Telangana with 10 districts, while the residual state of Andhra Pradesh will have 13 districts.

As soon as the House met at 11am on Tuesday, Seemandhra MPs started protesting, and even Union Ministers rushed into the well, forcing Speaker Meira Kumar to adjourn the House till 12 noon. When the House met again at 12 noon, the Speaker permitted Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde to introduce amendments in the Bill in the House.

The Home Minister introduced 62 amendments in the Bill. He said that Seemandhra would get a special financial package. Immediately after introducing it, Seemandhra ministers a created ruckus, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House again till 12:45pm.

The ruckus continued after the House resumed its business at 3pm. However, the House proceedings were stopped from being telecast by the Speaker.

The JD (U) and TMC members staged a walk-out over the issue. TMC MP Manish Trivedi condemned the stoppage of the telecast, and asked what the Congress-led UPA government is trying to hide. "The spirit of democracy is dead. People have a right to know what is happening inside the House. It is a Black Day, and something like the Emergency," he said.

JD (U) leader Sharad Yadav said that he had never seen such scenes in the Lok Sabha over the bifurcation of a state, and that therefore, JD (U) MPs staged a walk-out.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Shinde said that Seemandhra would get a special financial package. He also said that he sincerely hopes that the Telangana issue would be resolved. Union ministers J D Seelam, Purandeshwari, Chiranjeevi, Kavuru Sambasiva Rao and others were in the well of the House when the House began voting on the Bill clause by clause on the amendments.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushma Swaraj supported the Bill in the Lok Sabha. She said that the Bill addresses the concerns of Seemandhra people. (INN)