AP assembly to debate Reorganisation Bill 2013 tomorrow

HYDERABAD: In what could bring an end to the ongoing stalemate in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, the Business Advisory Committee ( BAC) decided today, to debate the draft AP Reorganisation Bill 2013 in the House from tomorrow.

Though it was decided earlier to end the current winter session by Friday, a fresh decision was taken at the BAC meeting today to continue the session beyond Friday, after a short Christmas break and complete the debate on the draft Bill.

Speaker Nadendla Manohar will announce the schedule for the debate in the House tomorrow.

While legislators from the Telangana region insisted on a debate on the draft Bill, which was tabled in the House yesterday, legislators from the Seemaandhra region opposed it.

In fact, at today's BAC meeting, AP Finance Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy reportedly suggested that a special session of the House be convened early next month for the debate and to complete the formality of returning the draft Bill to the President by the January 23 deadline.

However, AP Deputy Chief Minister Damodara Rajanarasimha and AP Legislative Affairs Minister D Sridhar Babu objected to Anam's suggestion and wanted the session to be continued for the debate.

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy left the BAC meeting midway after reportedly favouring continuation of the current session.

Telugu Desam Legislature Party deputy leader Gali Muddukrishnama Naidu walked out of the BAC meeting after his demand to return the draft Bill to the Centre and adopt a resolution in the assembly on bifurcation of the state were rejected.