Six backward districts in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region were today accorded special status with the Parliament passing a Constitution Amendment Bill backed by an overwhelming majority.
The Constitution (118th Amendment) Bill, which inserts a new Article 371-J to provide special recognition for the six backward districts of North Karnataka -- Gulbarga, Yadgir, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal and Bellary, was passed in Rajya Sabha with all members present voting in favour.
Lok Sabha had passed the Bill yesterday. The Bill provides for reservation in education and jobs for locals and setting up of a separate Development Board. This also provides for equitable allocation of funds for development of the region.
Initiating the debate, Venkaiah Naidu (BJP) said lack of Centre's financial support was one the elements "missing" from the legislation. He also demanded Centre's special grant for development and asked for adequate support for infrastructure development of the region.
In his reply, Minister of State for Home Affairs R P N Singh said the region has received Rs 407 crore since 2007-08 and if it can improve fund utilisation, the Centre would give additional financial assistance. All the 163 members present at the time of voting in the Rajya Sabha voted in favour of the bill.
Devender Gaud T (TDP), however, said the special status is not going to solve the problems of the region until and unless a separate Telangana state is created. "Carve out a separate state...this is not going to solve the problem," he said.
Describing the bill as "historic", Rajeev Chandrasekhar (Ind) said it would pave the way for economic re-integration of the region. Basawaraj Patil (BJP) said the demand of the region for a special status was long-pending and demanded that the Centre should come out with a development plan.
Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge, who belongs to Congress, congratulated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi and requested members to vote in
favour.
Oscar Fernandes (Cong) and Prashant Chatterjee (CPI-M) also participated in the discussion.