The objections to the Bill passed in the Lok Sabha merging seven mandals in Khammam district of Telangana with Andhra Pradesh, to facilitate the construction of the mega Polavaram irrigation project across the Godavari, are untenable and unfortunate, according to K Haribabu, Lok Sabha MP from Visakhapatnam and President of the AP unit of the BJP.

At a press meet here on Sunday, he said it is very surprising that senior Congress leaders like S Jaipal Reddy are raising objections, stating that the Bill passed in the Lok Sabha would not stand legal scrutiny.

“In fact, the ordinance merging the seven mandals with AP was prepared and sent by the UPA Government to the President after the passage of the AP Reorganisation Bill in Parliament.

“However, the could not give his assent to it as election notification had already been issued. The NDA Government had only re-submitted the ordinance to the President and subsequently got it passed in the Lok Sabha.

“It is strange that Jaipal Reddy, a senior leader and a member of the Union Cabinet, did not deem it fit to raise the issue then. Now he is calling it unconstitutional,” Haribabu said.

He further said the Union Government has been vested with powers under Article 3 to change the borders of a State, and in fact, invoking those powers under the said Article only the UPA Government had granted statehood to Telangana. “The NDA Government is following the same constitutional procedure to merge the seven mandals in Khammam district with AP,” he pointed out.

Haribabu said the Polavaram project, which will provide additional irrigation to 7 lakh acres in the Godavari districts and Visakhapatnam besides stabilising the Krishna and Godavari deltas, will also be useful to Telangana, as 1 lakh acres can be brought under lift irrigation in Khammam district.

He advised Telangana leaders to give up “confrontationist and negative attitudes” and strive for the development of both the Telugu-speaking States.

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