Cabinet clears Telangana draft bill with 10 AP districts

Removing one more hurdle in bifurcating Andhra Pradesh to create Telangana, the Union Cabinet on Thursday cleared the draft Bill with 10 districts.

The Cabinet, however, decided not to include the proposed Rayalaseema districts (Ananthapur and Kurnool) in the proposed Telangana state. The decision was taken after an intense meeting which lasted for three hours.

The Cabinet will now send the bill to the President who will send the bill to Andhra Pradesh Assembly.

Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said that Hyderabad will remain as the common capital of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for a period not exceeding 10 years. Shinde added that one governor who will be assisted by two central government advisors will take care of law and order issues in Hyderabad till the time it remains the shared capital.

Shinde said government wants to bring the Bill in the winter session of parliament but it depends on when the President returns the bill after signing it.

The highlights of the bill are: Telangana will comprise 10 districts and the rest of Andhra Pradesh comprises 13 districts. Hyderabad will remain the common capital for both the states for a period not exceeding 10 years. The Governor of Telangana will have a special responsibility for security of life, liberty and property of all those who reside in the common capital area. The Governor may be assisted by two advisors to be appointed by the Government of India.

The government of India will extend financial and other support to the creation of a new capital for the successor state of Andhra Pradesh to be identified by an expert committee. Institutional mechanism with full involvement and participation of government of India will be put in place to manage water resources and projects on Krishna and Godavari rivers in an amicable and equitable manner.

Polavaram will be declared as a national project and will be executed by the union government following all environmental and R&R norms. Detailed provisions have been made in the bill on matters relating to coal, power, oil and gas, division of assets and liabilities and allocation of government employees.

The government of India will assist the two states in augmenting their police forces for maintaining public order. Article 371 D will continue for the both states to ensure equitable opportunities for education and public employment. Existing admission quotas in higher technical and medical institutions will continue for a period not exceeding five years.

Earlier in the day, the Congress Core Group meeting failed to reach a consensus on the inclusion of two Rayalaseema districts in the proposed Telangana state. The GoM report listed both options of Rayal-Telangana with 12 districts and Telangana with 10 districts.

The Centre has been under intense preassure from pro-Telangana parties on the inclusion of two Rayalaseema districts. TRS leader KT Rama Rao said, "One fails to understand why the Congress party and the Union government is even considering this proposal when, when it is neither the demand of the people of Rayalseema nor the demand of the people of Telangana."

(With additional inputs from PTI)