The Union government on Monday deferred the introduction of the Bill to amend the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. It also deferred tabling the explanatory statement for promulgation of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014.
The Bill and explanatory statement were scheduled in the List of Business for the day in the Lok Sabha, but when his turn came to table both, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh informed the House that the government was in the process of obtaining the recommendation of the President under Article 3 for the introduction of the Bill.
Since the Bill essentially replaces the ordinance promulgated to allow the transfer of some villages in Telangana to Andhra Pradesh for the Polavaram project, Mr. Singh requested that both matters be deferred till the Presidential recommendation was secured.
Prior to this, Bhartruhari Mahtab (Biju Janata Dal) and Vinod Kumar Boianapalli (Telangana Rashtra Samithi) had given notices for opposing the introduction of the Bill on the premise that the areas to be transferred come under Schedule V of the Constitution and such a transfer cannot be made by any legislature.
They also questioned the haste with which the ordinance was promulgated.
