(YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, MP and YSR Congress Party chief, expresses his personal views on the divison on Andhra Padesh. CNN-IBN or IBNLive does not endorse them.)
The Congress Party has divided the state apart for electoral gains, unmindful of the sufferings of one region. The revenue deficit in Seemandhra region (Andhra Pradesh) would be huge and the package announced by the Prime Minister is a pittance.
The Congress has undemocratically divided the State throwing all parliamentary practices to winds to gain some seats in Telangana region and the package is no match to huge deficit the region would undergo in the coming years. The Congress would face a rout in the region in the coming years.
We will explore legal options as well as the manner in which the Bill was passed in both the Houses of Parliament was akin to slaughter of democracy. For the unpardonable feat of Sonia Gandhi and her Party in splitting the State, the Congress prospects have dropped in to an abyss and can never revive for decades together.
The way the state was bifurcated, the process adopted and the measure of political intrigue involved has baffled everyone as democracy has been slain in broad daylight. The Parliament has taken up a Bill that was rejected by the State Assembly and went ahead with the division against the will of the assembly and the majority of the people.
The division was made at a time when election schedule is due very soon. Congress has split the state with an eye on the 17 seats in Telangana region and has done injustice to Seemandhra throwing the region into a situation where it cannot recover. But we will overcome and teach Congress a bitter lesson in the next election.
The Prime Minister for his one-and-a-half page letter which lacks any soothing effect to the deprived Seemandhra but has a sprinkle of half baked promises and the contents of his letter are not included in the Bill.
The Prime Minister, who may not be there for the next term in office, says that we have to vacate Hyderabad within ten years. Seemandhra was not given a new capital, no funds were allocated, there was no mention as to where from the funds would flow and for how long. Having taken Hyderabad away, Seemandhra will have a revenue deficit of Rs 15,000 crores and this is the figure of 2012-13 and statistics tell that the figure will go up by 14 per cent annually. The PM spoke of covering the gap for one year.
I wonder what will happen to Seemandhra after the first year. If the revenue surplus Hyderabad is removed, Seemandhra will starve. There is no mention in the Prime Minister's address as to how the gap will be compensated. It took 60 years to build Hyderabad into a vibrant and revenue surplus city. How long will it take to the proposed capital city in Seemandhra to reach this magnitude of development?
Five year special category status to Seemandhra is pittance. Any industry to be set up in a new region takes 3 to 5 years and there will be gestation period as well. The five year status will serve no purpose and it needs at least 15 year special status to get things on the track.
No concrete assurance was given on Polavaram about the completion. There was no mention of Dummugudem- Nagarjuna Sagar take one project which is lifeline to Krishna ayacut. Nothing was spoken about no-tamper zones. Water drips into the state only after the needs of Maharashtra and Karnataka are fulfilled. If another state comes in between Srisailam and Nagarjuna sagar the fate of new state will hang in a balance.
In normal course, the minister seeks permission to introduce the Bill and the Speaker takes the opinion of the House to know the mood of the members if they are in favour of the Bill or not. This time-tested practice was not followed. Just in 10 seconds the Bill was said to be tabled.
Seventeen MPs were suspended, 15 from the State were evicted from the House and in their absence the Bill was passed. Even Lok Sabha TV was blacked out, the doors of the House were shut and people outside were not in a position to know what was happening. Such a mockery of democracy was exhibited to pass the Bill and the last time such audacity was shown was way back in 1976 during the Emergency.
When it came to Upper House, the flouting of rules was higher. The Deputy Chairman permits the debate though there were MPs protesting in the well of House. The same Honorable Deputy Chairman says that he cannot take up voting on clauses of the Bill as the House was not in order.
The CPM leader Sitaram Yechuri has walked out in protest against the plurality in which the situation was handled. The BJP being the principal opposition party blames Congress for not doing the division process in the right way, but it has it beak wetted in the process and has to share the blame as it voted in favour of the division. I appeal to all media, social media and advocates of democracy to join us in the fight and let not Andhra Pradesh division become a draconian precedent. We will emerge as a formidable force after the polls to do justice to the region.
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