T-Bill in Rajya Sabha today; security tightened in AP

Even as the government looks set to push forward the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, 2014 in Rajya Sabha on Thursday, security has beefed up in Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana.

The Andhra Pradesh Intelligence Bureau has warned of possible trouble in case the passage of the Bill is delayed on Thursday. The current session of Parliament ends on Friday.

There is growing anxiety among the people of Telangana and the rest of Andhra Pradesh, the IB alert states.

Sources say that the BJP is pushing hard for amendments and a lucrative package for Seema-Andhra. The party has also demanded that the issue go back to the Lok Sabha for ratification.

However, the Congress says that there is no time for that now. The ruling party though has agreed to BJP’s demand for an assurance from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the floor of the House on the demands it has made.

Agencies add:

The Upper House could not pass the bill on Wednesday as the government and the opposition were unable to reach any consensus over amendments in the bill.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath was seen holding parleys with leaders from the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party on the floor of the house.

A senior leader from Bharatiya Janata Party said there are a total of 32 amendments which his party wants to incorporate in the bill.

However, if the bill is passed in the Upper House with amendments, it will have to go back to the Lok Sabha for its approval before it is sent to the president for his assent, and the government feels this would create more trouble in the passage of the legislation.

The amendments that BJP proposes to move include one for granting a Rs 10,000 crore financial package to residual state of Seemandhra, as it will lose revenue when Hyderabad goes to Telangana, a BJP leader said.

Another amendment sought industrial concessions for north coastal Andhra, Rayalseema and backward areas of Telangana, sources said.