Rajya Sabha members sulk in search for state
States switched, Telangana and AP MPs stop work and yearn for home
Hyderabad: Six out of the 18 Rajya Sabha members from undivided AP became “non-locals” in their native state following a draw of lots held by Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari after the Bifurcation Act came into being.
These MPs do not want to spend their local area development (MPLADS) funds Rs ore each year in their allotted states. The MPs’ receive “protocol” honours from the state they don’t want to represent. They are not interested in being members of local bodies by virtue of being Rajya Sabha members. In Parliament, generally, they have been asking questions mostly on their native state.
The logjam is likely to continue till Parliament adopts a Constitutional Amendment to decide their “nativity”. Of the 18 Rajya Sabha seats in the undivided state, the AP Reorganisation Act allotted 11 went to AP and seven to Telangana.
The Act mandated that a draw of lots be held by the RS chairman to allot the RS members to the two states. In the draw of lots, Ms Renuka Chowdary, Mr M.A. Khan (Congress), Mr K. Kesava Rao (TRS) and Mr T. Devender Goud (TD), all of whom wish to be in Telangana, were allotted to AP. Mr K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao (Congress), who wishes to be identified with AP, was allotted to Telangana. Mr Jairam Ramesh, who is a non-local to both the states, was also given to AP.
As per the Union planning ministry guidelines, MPs should choose a “nodal district” to spend the Rs 5 crore provided to them annually under the MPLADS.
Ministry officials as well as Parliament officials have been pressuring the Rajya Sabha MPs from AP and Telangana to choose their nodal district in the state so that the money can be sent to the respective district collectors who are the nodal officer.
However, the four Telangana MPs who were allotted to AP do not want to spend the money in that state. Neither does Mr Ramachandra Rao want to spend the funds in Telangana.
These MPs also have not chosen a municipal corporation / local body to be ex-officio members.
This peculiar problem will be settled once these six MPs serve out their term.
“We have represented the matter to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu and Prakash Javadekar; MPLADS funds should be spent in Telangana since I belong there. They promised to bring a Constitutional Amendment in the Winter Session of Parliament. If that comes through our problem will be solved, otherwise there is no solution to this,” Mr M.A. Khan told this newspaper.
Ms Chowdary said, “We did not visualise such a situation at the time of passage of the Bifurcation Bill, when all officials and employees are being divided among the two states. Why cannot they bring a small amendment for us? I hope it will be done, otherwise we will approach the courts.”
Mr Ramachandra Rao said, “It is quite funny that I get invites from Telangana and don't get any from my own state, AP. I want to spend my MPLADS funds in AP, but rules say I have to spend it in Telangana.”