T Bill Not Possible In Assembly: Jana

Panchayat Raj Minister K Jana Reddy on Tuesday ruled out the possibilities of a Telangana Bill being passed in the Andhra Pradesh State Legislative Assembly.

Talking to reporters at the State Secretariat on Tuesday, Jana Reddy, who is also the chairman of the Telangana Congress Steering Committee, said that a Telangana Bill cannot be introduced in the AP Assembly on the lines of the UP Assembly, which passed a bill to divide the state into 4 parts.

He also said that no state could be divided merely through a resolution in the state Assembly.

Jana Reddy said that Telangana can be formed only by the Centre, under Article 3 of the Constitution. He hoped that the Centre takes a decision on the issue soon, respecting the sentiments and aspirations of the people in the region.

The minister also announced that the state government cannot release water for Rabi crops under the Nagarjuna Sagar Right and Left Bank Canals, due to insufficient storage in the reservoir.

He said that the decision was taken in consultation with the irrigation officials. A GO would be issued soon in this regard in the next few days, he said.

Jana Reddy said that the decision would hit farmers in the districts of Khammam, Nalgonda, Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam.

He advised the farmers dependent on these canals to avoid growing long-term crops like paddy, due to paucity of water.

He asked them to, instead, cultivate short-term crops like cotton, groundnut and chilli, that consume less water. He also advised farmers to complete their harvest by February.

Responding to a query, the minister clarified that bureaucrats have every right to reject a GO if was in violation of the Constitution.

He also denied reports that bureaucrats were being pressurised to issue specific GOs and being made scapegoats. He said that the GOs were being issued only after collective decisions by the state Cabinet.

However, he said, officials would be held responsible if they pass the GOs while ignoring Constitutional norms.

The minister's statement assumes importance in the wake of the CBI grilling officials in connection with the issuing of GOs, especially in the Obulapuram Mining Corporation scam.

Meanwhile, Jana Reddy hailed the overall performance of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who will complete one-year of his term on 25 November. (INN)