Chacko: T Bill before LS polls

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday asserted that the Telangana Bill will be passed by Parliament, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2014. The Congress has once again committed itself to the formation of Telangana. AICC Spokesman PC Chacko said, “The Winter Session is not the last session of Parliament for this Government.” He hinted that the Telangana Bill would be passed in the extended or the Special Session of Parliament.

P C Chacko pointed out that as planned originally, the Telangana Bill could not be brought to Parliament in the current session, as it has to be considered and returned by the Andhra Pradesh Assembly. The Telangana Bill has to come back from the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, he said. However, he regretted that what has happened in the Assembly complex was unfortunate.

The Congress, he said, has demonstrated its commitment to the cause of creation of Telangana through the Telangana Resolution passed in the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on July 30 and the decision of the Union Cabinet on October 3.

The Draft Telangana Bill was cleared by the Union Cabinet on December 5 and forwarded to the President, who, in turn referred it to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly. Now it is the turn of the State Assembly to consider and return it, before the Centre could proceed further in the matter.

Meanwhile, as the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day amid uproar, Congress MPs like Sabbam Hari vowed to continue to obstruct the House, till the withdrawal of the Telangana Bill.

The TDP MPs also staged a protest in front of the main entrance to Parliament in the morning.