RAJYA SABHA _________ ∗SUPPLEMENT TO SYNOPSIS OF DEBATE _________ (Proceedings other than Questions and Answers) _________ Thursday, February 20, 2014/Phalguna 01, 1935 (Saka) _________ GOVERNMENT BILL The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, 2014 –Contd. THE MINISTER OF STATE OF THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM (DR. K. CHIRANJEEVI), making his maiden speech, said: This is my maiden speech. Today I am talking on behalf of all the Telugu people, not on behalf of any one region. Crores of Telugu people are being deprived of their rights in an unfair manner. The process adopted to divide the State is very, very unfortunate. The State and the people can’t be divided like this. Srikrishna Committee also concluded, only united Andhra Pradesh is the best option. The manner in which the Bill was tabled in the cabinet meting as a table item was a pity. This House must remember the fact that the Congress Party was the last party that took a decision on this bifurcation. BJP always promised to create Telangana State. The TDP gave a letter supporting the bifurcation. They have done more damage to the Seemandhra people than anybody else. It is because of the opportunistic ways of these parties that things have come to this situation today. The Telugu people will be the losers. We must ___________________________________________________ ∗This Synopsis is not an authoritative record of the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha. 96 remember that the development of Hyderabad is due to the collective efforts of all the Telugu people. We have to reflect the emotions of the people because we are representatives of the people. Hyderabad is people's lifeline, source of livelihoods, destination for educational and employment opportunities and destination of dreams. During the last three decades, the development in various sectors that has taken place in Hyderabad is because of the contribution of the Seemandhra people. So, we want that Hyderabad should be made a UT on the lines of Chandigarh. It is said that it will remain a 'common Capital' for ten years. I don't know whether the term 'common Capital' has any meaning constitutionally. After Seemandhra builds matching infrastructure and generates opportunities, it can be made a part of Telangana. So, I request you to make this amendment in the Bill. The Central Government will have to take full responsibility in implementing rivers linking multipurpose Polavaram Project without any hurdles. The assets and liabilities must be distributed proportionately. The huge revenue deficit, which Seemandhra will encounter after bifurcation, needs to be addressed. There should be a special financial package to fill this revenue deficit. Andhra Pradesh should be given a special category status so that development takes place there. In that category, tax exemptions and tax holidays must be given for a minimum of 10 years. A special package should also be given to the North Coastal Andhra Pradesh. Only with these things, there will be equal justice to the people of all religions. Without these changes, I strongly feel that the Bill cannot be passed. KM. MAYAWATI: Our Party supports the creation of the new State, Telangana. Andhra Pradesh is being bifurcated thorough this Bill. Hyderabad has been made the common capital for both the new States. This common capital will become bone of contention between both the States. We have a case of Chandigarh where Punjab and Haryana are confronting. We demand that the issue related to capital should be addressed early. Seemandhra should be given a special package. Telangana is a backward State with population of 97 SCs, STs, and OBCs, and upper caste people are living in a miserable conditions there. Therefore Telangana should also be given special package alongwith Seemandhara. Other States of the country, whose financial condition is not sound, should also be given special packages. There should be no politics in providing financial package. People of Telangana had to struggle hard over the years while it should have been created without any struggle and blood shed. Division of large States is in the interest of the nation as small administrative unit can give better results. We had also demanded that Uttar Pradesh might be divided into four parts but the Central Government have not paid any attention to our demand. Reorganisation is causing a serious problem regarding inclusion of OBCs in the list of SCs and STs. Many castes of OBC should be included in the list of SCs and STs and a commission for this purpose should be constituted at the national level. SHRI SITARAM YECHURY: Both I and my party completely oppose this bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. It is an irony that Andhra Pradesh is being divided today. The people, who are united by language, are being divided and all this is being done for some material gain. A sheer electoral opportunism is leading to the division of the State. I want this august House to act seriously and send back this legislation to the Lok Sabha by rejecting it and saying that we will not violate the linguistic reorganization of the Indian States. You cannot do this disservice to our country. In allocation of resources, all should be considered equally. Please, reconsider your decision and do not open a Pandora’s Box for India. It is not in India’s interest. SHRI N. K. SINGH: I wish to certainly bring some serious infirmities which are contained in this Bill. This Bill is a strange Bill because it does not contain any objects and Reasons normally contained in the Bills. It also does not contain a Financial Memorandum, which stipulates the likely expenditure and the likely revenue. It does not even lay down any monetary mechanism which monitors the administration of fiscal package. This Bill is a serious discrimination against other States, which are similarly eligible. I 98 hope that the economic logic and merits of the case would prompt him to give similar benefits to the seven States which have been identified by the Raghuram Rajan Committee’s Report. PROF. RAM GOPAL YADAV: I strongly oppose this Bill because it is not only the division of Andhra Pradesh but also division of the people. It is a direct attack on the federal structure of the country. It is the first time when a state is being divided against the will of the people and the legislative Assembly of that state. This Bill is against the democratic conventions and is unconstitutional. I urge upon the Government to withdraw this Bill in the public interest. SHRIMATI KANIMOZHI: The Government has not been able to build consensus among all the stakeholders in this case. I think it is very important to take into consideration the sentiments of the State Assembly which represents the true spirit of the people. That has not been done and it raises a lot of questions about the federal structure of this country. We oppose this Bill and we walk out of this. SHRI C. M. RAMESH: This is a totally illegal Bill. I rise to oppose this Bill. SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR: My party is of the view that creation of Telangana and justice to Seemandhra could be done simultaneously. The Congress party is responsible for what is happening in Andhra Pradesh today. In NDA regime three new states were created successfully and everyone was happy with the decision. Hyderabad which is the part of Telangana would remain the capital of both the states for ten years, but for that justice should be done with Seemandhra also. SHRI V. HANUMANTHA RAO: I rise to support this Bill. Between 1954-56 Andhra was in Madras Province. In 1956 they came to Hyderabad. They have meted out injustice to the Telangana people in the matter of employment, education, irrigation and other things. Now they are saying it is a division. But it is not a division like Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. So far as a package for Rayalaseema is concerned, 99 we are not against it but at the same time injustice should not be done to the people of Telangana. I request all the hon. Members to support this Bill. I Congratulate the Hon’ble Prime Minister and the Home Minister. The state may be divided but the people should not be divided. SHRI SHASHI BHUSAN BEHERA: The Congress Party has failed to pass a resolution on Hyderabad Assembly. I must say that the Biju Janata Dal and my chief Minister are certainly against the bifurcation of smaller States. Government has not taken adequate care to address the concerns and problems of the people of Seemandhra. What about the Raghuram Rajan Committee Report? Why are the backward States being neglected? We are not opposed to Special Category Status to any State. The Polavaram project is being opposed seriously by Odisha and Chhattisgarh. The Government must examine the legal and constitutional side of the Bill. DR. JANARDHAN WAGHMARE: I rise to support the Bill. The demand is justified. The concerns of Seemandhra people have to be taken into consideration and a special package has to be given to them. SHRI DEVENDER GOUD T.: We support the Bill. The Telugu Desam Party want that the problems and difficulties that may arise in the Seemandhra region should also be addressed and solved with the same kind of commitment. ♣SHRIMATI GUNDU SUDHARANI: (Spoke in Telugu.) SHRI D. RAJA: My party supports this Bill. It does not mean that we support every other demand. Our party supports that Hyderabad should remain as a common Capital for ten years. There is a need to address all concerns and sincere apprehensions of the people of Seemandhra. So my party demands that Government should allocate adequate funds for the establishment of a new capital for ___________________________________________________ ♣Synopsis of speech delivered by Hon'ble Member in Telugu will be published separately as supplement.