Assembly to resume debate on Bill today

Thousands of amendments to clauses mooted

• Members may press Speaker for voting on all clauses
• Kiran has pledged to get the Bill defeated in House
• All eyes on Naidu – will he speak for united State?
• YSRCP members not to take part in discussions
• Since only a few spoke, Prez may give more time

Hyderabad: The stage is set for second round of debate on the draft Telangana Bill in the state Assembly on Friday when the House reassembles after a week-long Sankranti festival break. The YSRCP members who will be present in the Assembly will not take part in the debate but would press for voting. They are likely to demand that the Speaker give an assurance that all the clauses and the bill would be put to vote. It may be mentioned here that both the Seemandhra MLAs and those from Telangana had moved thousands of amendments to the bill.

While the Seemandhra legislators had opposed enactment of the bill, the T MLAs had opposed clause 8 which seeks to vest several powers in the Governor who would be administering the new state of Telangana as well as the residuary state with Hyderabad as the common capital.

They also opposed clause 5(1) that makes Hyderabad as common capital for 10 years. Most of the parties except the Congress party want that the common capital should be only for a period not exceeding three years.

Keeping in tune with the decision of the Congress Working Committee, the Telangana Congress suggested that Hyderabad may be made the common capital for a period, not exceeding 10 years or till completion of the new capital for residuary state, whichever is earlier.

Though the draft Bill was tabled in the Assembly on December 16, actual debate on it could not begin till January 8, so far only about five members could participate in the debate due to the ruckus that was witnessed in the House. Since there are many more speakers to participate in the discussion and as the Speaker indicated that all the clauses would be put to vote, the state government wants to seek more time. There are also reports that the President Pranab Mukherjee may agree to give ten more days time to the Assembly. However, so far no formal request has gone to the President from the government. All eyes are now on the speeches the leader of opposition N Chandrababu Naidu and Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy would make in the Assembly. It is said that Kiran is preparing to deliver a marathon speech explaining why he was opposing the bifurcation of the state.