The Cabinet’s approval of the Telangana Bill means the legislation is now certain to be introduced in Parliament. There was a suggestion about the Bill being brought to the Rajya Sabha on February 11.

The Cabinet made provisions to ensure that the promises made by the Centre are carried out in a time-bound manner.

The Prime Minister spoke at the meeting, pointing out why the Government needed to push the Bill to meet the long-standing demand of the people of Telangana.

The 32 approved amendments pertain to a special package for Seemandhra, which will be assessed by the 14th Finance Commission, on the division of the submerged areas owing to the mega Polavaram project from Telangana and so on. Most amendments pertain to infrastructure, finance and water sharing.

The fate of Andhra Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, who had taken to agitating on Delhi streets since Parliament convened for the ongoing session, had not been decided till late Friday night.

Core strategy The core group of the All India Congress Committee met in the evening to discuss issues related to Telangana. But the priority before the Congress leadership was reportedly to devise an effective floor strategy to get the Bill passed in Parliament.

So far, the Congress has been unable to restrain its own members in Parliament. Both Houses have been disrupted and remained adjourned for three consecutive days till Friday.

Deep fissures over Telangana have triggered acrimony and chaos, with the ruling party being embarrassed by the spectacle of its own MPs giving notices for no-confidence motion against the government.

The deadlock continued throughout Friday with an exasperated Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari admonishing the MPs with the warning that disruptions would reflect in the House proceedings.

“For several days now, we have been in a situation where we are being forced to witness deviations of decorum of House when members rush into the Well. I wish to inform the members that this will now be reflected precisely in the proceedings of the House,” the Chairman noted amid the din.

Creating chaos The Opposition has, in the meantime, accused the Congress of deliberately creating pandemonium in Parliament. “The Congress is insincere, both about creation of Telangana and addressing the concerns of Seemandhra. If they had been sincere, those who violated the CWC resolution and created chaos in Parliament would have been expelled,” BJP leader Prakash Javadekar said.

Related Topics