Andhra bifurcation: 10 more days can be given to Assembly to discuss Telangana bill

A maximum of 10 more days could be given to Andhra Pradesh Assembly to discuss the Telangana bill as it is yet to debate the state bifurcation issue due to continuous disruption.

The time limit given to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly to discuss the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill comes to an end on January 23 as the President has given the House six weeks to discuss the legislation and give its opinion. However, the state legislature has not been able to discuss it due to regular pandemonium in the House following protests by both pro and anti-Telangana MLAs.

Official sources said there have been precedents when the President had extended the time given to the state Assembly to discuss a bill for creation of a new state. "Since the honourable President strictly goes by the book, there is a possibility that he may extend the January 23 deadline following precedents, if the state Assembly requests him for it," a source said.

The Madhya Pradesh Assembly was given extended time by the then President to discuss and approve the bill for creation of Chhattisgarh. If the time limit is extended beyond January 23, the Centre will have a very narrow window to get the Telangana Bill passed in the Parliament which will commence in the first fortnight of February to pass the Vote on Account.

"We are going to have the Parliament session in the first fortnight of February and as has been the convention we will have the session of about 15 days or 10 sittings. We are still deciding on the business," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath had said recently.

However, experts are of the opinion that whatever the Assembly does, Parliament can go ahead with its legislative process for creation of the new state. The Union Cabinet had on December 5 given the go-ahead for the creation of a 10-district Telangana and outlined the blueprint for carving out the country's 29th state.

Telangana will comprise 10 districts and the rest of Andhra Pradesh will consists of 13 districts. Hyderabad will remain the common capital for both the states for a period not exceeding 10 years.