RAJYA SABHA _________ ∗SYNOPSIS OF DEBATE _________ (Proceedings other than Questions and Answers) _________ Monday, July 14, 2014/Ashadha 23, 1936 (Saka) ________ STATEMENT BY MINISTER ♣Alleged Destruction of more than 1.5 lakh files in the Ministry of Home Affairs - Contd. The Minister of Home Affairs (SHRI RAJNATH SINGH), replying to the points raised by the Members, said: I have no objection regarding any question. I have already made it clear that no file related to Mahatama Gandhi, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri or Lord Mountbatten has been destroyed. As Home Minister of Government of India, I wish to assure all of you that BJP would not allow disruption in the continuity of the history at any cost. Nobody can deny the contribution of the Father of Nation, Mahatama Gandhi. Mahatama Gandhi is the most respected global personality of our country. Therefore, do not doubt us. I have already given the clarification regarding the files related to the assassination of Gandhiji. This is not the case that files were only destroyed after our Government came to the power. Files were also destroyed when UPA Government was in power. Some categorised files are only destroyed as per Manual of Office Procedure. Opening and destroying of the file is done under a continuous process. When actions on the files are over, they are ∗This Synopsis is not an authoritative record of the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha. ♣ Made on 11th July, 2014. 65 categorized in three categories. Files of historical importance are kept into a complete safe custody even after their microfilming. Another category of files is also of historical importance and is also kept safely and third category of files is kept safely only for a stipulated time. At the time of UPA Government also, files were sent to National Archives and destroyed. Whatever has happened is part of that continues process. Generally, 25 year old files are sent to National Archives. I will make the information available to this August House regarding every destroyed file. We almost took the decision of digitization of files. A particular file was not destroyed by a person but 500 people were involved it. Files regarding policy making are always kept safe. Files regarding establishment of Government department or agency are also kept safe. Files of some important cases or sensitive matters remained prevalent amongst people wherein administration was a party are also kept in safe custody. Files related to policy change, formation and working of important committees, public importance or international incidents or sensitive cases or unethical incidents and encouraging national schemes are also kept safe. No file of historical importance related to freedom struggle has been destroyed. As per my knowledge, no file related to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Kashmir has been destroyed. However I would verify the same. All other information would be provided by us in writing. I. STATUTORY RESOLUTION Disapproving the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014 II. GOVERNMENT BILL The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2014 DR. K. KESHAVA RAO, moving the Statutory Resolution, said: Ordinance under Article 123 is promulgated when there is urgency and Parliament is not in session. Sometimes we do resort to Ordinance route when something happens or some distortions creep in. Here the Cabinet sits on a particular day and sends the 66 Ordinance to the President and on the same day asks for convening Parliament. There has to be a direction from the Chair to the Government on this kind of practice when two decisions are taken by the Cabinet on the same day. You put the Resolution to vote. I certainly say that this Ordinance does not hold water. THE MINITER OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI RAJ NATH SINGH), moving the motion for consideration of the Bill, said: It may be recalled that the Rajya Sabha had passed the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill on 20th February. The Rajya Sabha had passed the Bill without any amendments. The Bill received the assent of the President on 1st March, 2014 and hence was notified as Act VI of 2014. Immediate action was necessary to revise the territories of the two successor States before the appointed day of 2nd June, 2014. Hence, an Ordinance was promulgated by the President. I have already given a statement with regard to this in Lok Sabha. The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill gives the rationale in detail. This Bill seeks to maintain the continuity of amendments carried out by the Ordinance. It seeks to transfer some parts of Khammam District to Andhra Pradesh. This will provide a much needed flexibility to the Andhra Pradesh Government to implement the rehabilitation and resettlement package of the Polavaram Multi-purpose National Irrigation Project. We have retained the temple town of Bhadrachalam in Telangana and the road to the town remains a part of Telangana. Some areas were parts of the East Godavari District and were transferred in 1958 to Khammam District. I assure this House that this Government shall endeavour to realize the dream of prosperity that the Polavaram project would bring to Andhra Pradesh. I commend the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2014 to this House for consideration and passing. SHRI JAIRAM RAMESH: I support the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2014. Polavaram project has emotive and iconic appeal to the people of Andhra Pradesh. Water transferred from Godavari Basin to Krishna Basin will benefit Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra. It is a multipurpose project. 67 At the same time it is also a project that will involve substantial rehabilitation and resettlement of families. The districts of Khammam, East Godavari and West Godavari will have to be relocated. Families in Malkangiri district of Odisha and Dantewada district of Chhatisgarh have to be resettled and relocated. The bulk of resettlement has to be done in Khammam district, West Godavari district and East Godavari district. Section 3 was put in the act in order to ensure that the submergence and resettlement takes place in the same state. The original bill had the provision for only the implementation of the Polavaram Project and there was no provision for the transfer of area from one district to other district. On 12th February, the Union Cabinet decided that instead of transferring seven mandals, only submerged villages would be transferred from Khammam District to the East Godavari District. The former Prime Minister, Dr.Manmohan Singh assured the members that any further Amendments needed to facilitate full rehabilitation and resettlement for Polavaram Project will be given effect to at the earliest. On 20th of February, the GoM tried to find a solution that would satisfy both Telengana and Andhra Pradesh. We could not issue ordinance because the election code was in operation. The bill brought forward by the Union Home Minister, is a word for word repetition of the Cabinet decision taken by UPA II. It is not an easy project to implement. It involves very substantial submergence and resettlement. The parliament passed Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation Act, 2013. The new law makes it incumbent upon the resettlement and rehabilitation to be completed before submergence actually happens. I am fully conscious of the environmental impact and the resettlement and rehabilitation impact of projects like Polavaram. This bill is an important commitment made by erstwhile Government being taken forward by the present Government. I appeal to the Government of Andhra Pradesh that resettlement and rehabilitation in Polavaram Project will be done democratically, humanely and sensibly. SHRI NAND KUMAR SAI: I support the Andhra Pradesh reorganisation Bill. The Polavaram project is very useful. But when 68 tribal population is displaced it does not know what to do besides agriculture. It includes areas of Odisha, Dantewada-Bastar area and Khammam district. The rehabilitation of this tribal population has to be thought about seriously. The loss to environment has to be compensated. I support the Telangana state and hope that displaced people will be resettled lawfully, with compassion and with a humanitarian approach. SHRI KALPATARU DAS: I oppose the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill. We are not opposed to Polavaram project. But a number of families will be displaced. There is an apprehension that not only 10 Gram Panchayats of Padia Block will be affected but even the Malkangiri district would be submerged. Odisha is mostly affected by this. Andhra Pradesh has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court that they will spend Rs.600 crores for protective embankments in Odisha. Even if these protective embankments are constructed, how can we satisfy the tribal people of our State? We want that this project should be implemented, but it should not be implemented at the cost of Odisha, Telangaa or Chhattisgarh. It should be implemented in the interests of the country. The Government of India should think of protecting the interests of Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. SHRI C.M. RAMESH: Had the Ordinance been issued on or after 2nd June, their argument stands good. The argument that tribals would be displaced and suffer, if seven Mandals are merged with Andhra Pradesh, again does not carry any weight. The main objective of transferring these Mandals is to provide the best rehabilitation and resettlement to tribals and to improve their living conditions They are saying that Bhadrachalam was part of Telangana. If you look into the history, the entire Bhadrachalam Division was part of Andhra State. If any justification is to be done to A.P., the entire Bhadrachalam division, including Rama's temple, should be given to us as they belong to us. All that we want is that nobody should create hurdles for Polavaram. Polavaram is a multipurpose project.