Govt firm on T process: PC

Both Houses adjourned after repeated disruptions

• Chidambaram stands in for Shinde who has undergone surgery
• Seemandhra MPs joined by Bodoland MPs
• Antony heads panel to pacify Seemandhra leaders
• Home ministry to prepare Notefor Cabinet

Venkat Parsa

New Delhi: Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Monday signalled the government resolve to press ahead with the formation of Telangana, even as both Houses of parliament were adjourned for the day after repeated disruptions, amid the demand for keeping the state of Andhra Pradesh united.

The Seemandhra MPs, across party lines, united to raise their voice in parliament. In the Lok Sabha, while the Seemandhra Congress MPs and the TDP MPs joined in their protest against the Centre’s decision to go ahead with the formation of Telangana, in the Rajya Sabha, just two TDP MPs – Y S Chowdhury and C M Ramesh – managed to disrupt the proceedings throughout the day, leading to its adjournment for the day in the afternoon. Simultaneously Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) member SK Bwiswmuthiary also joined the protest with a banner stating “Bodoland MPs strongly stand for a separate state of Bodoland”.

Chidambaram, standing in for Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, who was recuperating from a surgery he has undergone in Mumbai, set out the firm resolve of the government to go ahead with the steps for the formation of Telangana.

Making the brief statement in the Rajya Sabha, Chidambaram said, “In the matter relating to the separate state of Telangana, the Constitution of India lays down a procedure for formation of new states. Besides, a number of substantive matters have to be addressed with the formation of a new state. These matters are under the consideration of the government.

The Ministry of Home Affairs will bring a comprehensive note for the Cabinet, containing both substantive and procedural issues, for the decision of the Cabinet. These issues will include, but will not be limited to, sharing of river waters, generation and distribution of electricity, safety and security of all residents of all three regions, guarantee of fundamental rights of all residents, etc. Once the Cabinet takes decisions on these matters, there will be an opportunity for the House to have a structured discussion on the subject.

The government will welcome such a discussion at an appropriate time.” Significantly, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has set up a high-powered committee to address the concerns of the Seemandhra leaders.

The panel comprises Union Defence Minster A K Antony, who is also member of the high-powered Congress Core Group and highest policy-making body, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and AICC General Secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh Digvijay Singh. This panel will talk to the leaders and especially the Union Ministers from the Seemandhra region and seek to address their concerns on specific issues like river-water sharing, power, revenue, Hyderabad, safety and security of settlers in Hyderabad and such other issues.

In the afternoon, all the Union Ministers from the Seemandhra region, held a meeting in Parliament House. It was attended by Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi, HRD Minister M M Pallam Raju, Minister of State for Petroleum Panabaka Lakshmi, Minister of State for Telecom Killi Kripa Rani, Minister of State for Commerce D Purandeshwari, Minister of State for Finance J D Seelam and Minister of State for Railways Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy.

In the Lok Sabha, the TDP MPs – K Narayan Rao, N Siva Prasad, N Kristappa and M Venugopal Reddy – were joined by Seemandhra MPs from the Congress, besides Assam MP Bwiswamuthiary, who is demanding separate Bodoland. The Seemandhra MPs included L Rajagopal, Magunti Srinivasul Reddy, S P Y Reddy, G V Harsha Kumar and K Bapi Raju, besides Sabbam Hari.

In the Rajya Sabha, Y S Chowdhury and C M Ramesh, held on, despite repeatedly being admonished by the Chair, for “bad and unbecoming behaviour.” Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien rebuked the two TDP MPs for “holding the House to ransom and this was not acceptable.” Kurien said, “The government has agreed for discussion. What more do you want?”

Earlier, Rajya Sabha Chairman Mohammad Hamid Ansari asked the TDP MPs whether they simply want to agitate or do they want a meaningful discussion. At the floor leaders morning in the morning, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley had agreed for a discussion on the issues arising from the Centre’s decision to create Telangana. It was decided to slot the subject for discussion and the members should go back to their seats to enable the business to be conducted. But the TDP MPs remained unrelenting.