Bill to form Telangana tabled in Andhra assembly

The bill was tabled amid protests by legislators from Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions

The bill for bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh was Monday tabled in the state assembly amid protests by legislators from Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions.

Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, 2013, for formation of separate Telangana was moved in the house, following which Speaker Nadendla Manohar adjourned the house for half-an-hour, the second adjournment since morning.

On the direction of the speaker, legislature secretary Raja Sadaram introduced the bill and read out the message from the president, asking the house to send back the bill with its views by Jan 23.

The legislators from Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) stood as a wall to fend off their counterparts from Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra) who were raising slogans opposing the bifurcation.

Telangana legislators including Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha hailed the introduction of the bill. The ministers from the region were seen thumping the desks.

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, who is strongly opposing the bifurcation, was not present in the house.

The speaker announced that the copies of the bill in Telugu and Urdu were also made available for the members.

It was not clear when the bill would be taken up for debate.