Telangana, Lokpal Bills top on govt agenda: Shinde

• T Bill with Prez, can’t say when it will be sent to Assembly
• Winter session will be extended, if needed

New Delhi: Lokpal, Telangana and the Communal Violence Bill are in the Government’s top priority, which it wants to pass in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament. This was stated by Union Home Minister and leader of the House in the Lok Sabha Sushil Kumar Shinde on Tuesday. When asked about the No-Confidence Motion moved by the 6 Seemandhra Congress MPs, he said that if there was any indiscipline, action would be taken.

Talking about the Telangana Bill, Shinde said that the Home Ministry, through the Prime Minister, had sent the Bill to the President.

“The Bill is with the President of India,” he said. The President would send it to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly for its consideration, after which it would be sent back to the President, who in turn would forward the same to the Cabinet along with his recommendations. Then, it would come to Parliament. Shinde expressed his ignorance on the time-frame that would be given by the President to the AP Assembly for its consideration and sending it back to the Centre.

Asked whether the winter session would be extended or a special session convened, the Home Minister said the government was keen on passing the Bill in this session itself. Shinde stoutly defended the process adopted for the creation of Telangana.

When asked that the Centre had bypassed the requirement for a Resolution under Article 3 of the Constitution, Shinde said that Telangana was part of the Congress Election Manifesto in 2004 and the announcement was made on December 9, 2009. He said that the Bill was being sent to elicit the views of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly. All this while, the Seemandhra MPs were aware that the Bill was coming.

The Home Minister assured that full justice would be done to the people of Seemandhra. Though Hyderabad had not been made a Union Territory, all steps had been taken to safeguard their interests.

As far as Polavaram project is concerned, it has been taken over by the Centre as a national project. It is the Centre’s responsibility to not only execute the project but also to look into the rehabilitation of the displaced persons. The state will not have to spend anything as it is now the Centre’s responsibility to do so.

Shinde said that the security forces that had been deployed in the state would remain there till December 31. Giving the split-up of the 95 companies that were additionally deployed for the maintenance of law& order, he said there were 4 companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF), 50 of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 33 of Border Security Force (BSF) and 8 companies of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

Referring to the Lok Pal Bill, Shinde said that it was passed in the Lok Sabha and was sent to the Rajya Sabha where it was referred to the Select Committee. It has suggested amendments and now the Bill is pending in the Upper House which has to be passed after incorporating the amendments. It will be brought to the Lok Sabha to ratify the amendments made in the Rajya Sabha. “The process is on and the government is very clear in its intentions,” he remarked. Since AAP performed spectacularly in the Delhi elections and earlier in the day Anna Hazare launced indefinite fast, the government is keen to pass the Bill as early as possible.”

Similarly, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, Shinde signalled the government’s commitment to push through the Prevention of Communal Violence Bill in this very session. He said that the Bill had been pending for a long time. Recently, Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami chaired a meeting with the State Home Secretaries to take on board their concerns on the Bill. He said that even now if anyone had any reservations, they could talk to him directly.