The Lok Sabha on Friday passed the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization (Amendment) Bill 2014 which facilitates merger of seven submisible mandals into Andhra Pradesh by voice vote amidst protests from members of Telangana, Chattisgarh and Odisha States. With this, the seven mandals of Khammam district would be merged into the AP after the Rajya Sabha endorsed the Bill.
The members of TRS, BJD and Chattisgarh vehemently opposed the bill. However, the Bill was passes comfortably in the Lok Sabha. Barring temple town of Bhadrachalam, villages under Kukkunuru, Velerupadu, Kunavaram, VR Puram, Chintooru and Burgampahad mandals of Khammam district would come under the purview of the residuary Andhra Pradesh State.
TRS MP Vinod Kumar Boianapalli along with Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, opposed the debate on the bill. Vinodi said the bill was against Article 3 of the Constitution, which deals with the formation of new States and alteration of areas, boundaries or names of existing states. Despite protests by Opposition members, the bill was adopted and passed, after which Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till 2 pm.
During the debate on the Bill, Nalgonda Congress MP Gutta Sukhender Reddy said he was opposing the bill as it is anti-tribals. It is nothing but atrocious on the part of the Centre to merge seven mandals of Khammam district of Telangana into the residuary Andhra Pradesh. He also said the Centre should have taken opinion of Telangana and AP governments before introducing the Polavaram Bill. Clarifying that the Congress was not against Polavaram project, Gutha demanded that the Centre recall the Bill and change the project design.
Speaking on the Bill, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the Polavaram project is a multi-purpose one and the NDA government would definitely execute the project as promised. He also explained the need to merge the submersible mandals of Khammam district into Andhra Pradesh.
It may be mentioned here that the Bill on Polavaram project was introduced in the Lok Sabha on July 8 amidst a din. It is the first Bill to be tabled in the House by the BJP-led Government. With the passage of the Bill, some 211 villages under seven mandals of Khammam district would be merged into the AP. Some 34,000 families i.e. 1,16,796 persons are living in these seven mandals. Out of 3267 hectare land in the seven mandals, 187.29 acre land is protected forest area. (NSS)
