Congress top brass finalise strategy on draft Telangana bill

Amid talk of a bill on separate Telangana to be brought in the Winter Session beginning on December 5 of Parliament next month, Congress top brass today met to finalise its strategy.
The Congress Core Group meeting chaired by party President Sonia Gandhi with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by her side comes ahead of the November 27 meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM), set up to look into the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
The GoM will finalise its report along with the draft Telangana Bill before it is submitted to the Union Cabinet.
The GoM, headed by Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, has already completed the process of discussions with various stake holders and fastened the mode of preparing the final report and the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, seeking to carve out a separate state of Telangana.

The GoM yesterday, deliberated various issues concerning the bifurcation of the state, distribution of assets between the two states as well as suggestions given by various stake holders.
Once the Cabinet clears the proposal, it will go to the President who in turn will refer it to Andhra Pradesh Assembly for approval. However, the Assembly resolution is not binding under the Constitution.
The Union Cabinet may consider the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill and after its approval, it will be sent to the President before being tabled in Parliament.
The Winter Session of Parliament commences on December 5 and will conclude on December 20.