No violation of Constitution in passing Polavaram Bill: Naidu

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today said there was no violation of the Constitution in the passing of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha yesterday.

The Bill was intended to replace Ordinance issued on May 29, 2014 for transferring some of the villages and mandals of Telangana to the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh in connection with the construction of Polavaram Multi-purpose Irrigation project.

The new state of Telangana came into being on June 2, 2014 and the ordinance was issued before that date when undivided Andhra Pradesh was still in existence, Naidu said on the sidelines of a function here.

His response came to the allegations made in and outside the Lok Sabha that the legislative assembly of Telangana should have been consulted while altering its borders.

On the issue of the amendment bill being passed without a discussion, Naidu said that in consultations with all the parties in the Business Advisory Committee of the House, two hours time was allotted for a discussion but the atmosphere in the House was vitiated with some members trooping into the well of the House and shouting.

He said a proper discussion would have enabled the government to give a full account of the circumstances of issuing the ordinance and introduction of the amendment bill.

The Parliamentary Affairs Minister said the then UPA government and its Prime Minister had given commitments to do the needful to enable construction of Polavaram project including transfer of some villages to Andhra Pradesh, through an amendment to the AP Reorganisation Act.

-PTI