Date:06/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/06/stories/2008120658710100.htm

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Telangana: TRS fails to table resolution in Assembly

Special Correspondent

Speaker abruptly adjourns the House sine die
Tells reporters resolution on Babli passed

HYDERABAD: In spite of a determined effort, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) could not table a resolution on separate Statehood for Telangana in the Assembly before it adjourned sine die at the end of a brief winter session.

It had planned to use Friday, a day reserved for non-official business, to introduce the resolution and force the Congress, a party it sees as the stumbling block for separate Statehood, to spell out its stand on Telangana.

But, a protest by its members, waving posters on Telangana, gave the Treasury Benches an opportunity to avoid any commitment.

TRS members led by T. Harish Rao surrounded Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah when he began to speak on another resolution tabled by Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy seeking the Centre’s intervention to stop construction of Babli and 11 barrages across the Godavari by the Maharashtra government. As the slogan-shouting members, all sporting pink shirts with pro-Telangana slogans printed on them, did not relent, Speaker K. R. Suresh Reddy abruptly adjourned the House sine die, well ahead of the scheduled time.

The Speaker later told reporters that the resolution on Babli was passed.

The resolution said the Babli project was being constructed on the foreshore area of Sriramsagar and the 11 barrages in violation of the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal Award. Leader of the Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu and floor leaders of CPI (M), CPI, welcoming the resolution, suggested that the Chief Minister lead an all-party delegation to New Delhi to press the Centre.

Meanwhile, TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao said the Congress should have declared that it was not possible to allow a discussion on the private member’s resolution on Telangana to show that it had the courage to block the issue.

Reacting to the developments in the House, Mr. Rao said at a press conference that the Congress had succeeded in preventing a discussion in the Assembly but could not escape the wrath of people in Telangana in the elections.