Hyderabad: Contradicting the Lok Sabha Speaker, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien has ruled that the Private Bill introduced by Congress MP K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao regarding Special Category Status to AP and seeking changes in the AP Reorganisation Act, is a Finance Bill.
In his ruling, Mr Kurien said that the Ministry of Law and Justice has also said that the Bill is a Finance Bill in category ‘A’ and can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha as per the provisions of Clause (1) of Article 117 of the Constitution.
After the Bill was discussed and at the time of voting, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley raised an objection and pointed out that the Bill was a Finance Bill in the past.
The matter was referred to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan for a decision. She decided that the Bill was not a money bill within the meaning of Article 110 of the Constitution.
However, while conveying the decision of the Lok Sabha Speaker, the secretary general of the Lok Sabha expressed the opinion that in view of the provision in the Bill for establishment of a separate High Court for Andhra Pradesh, the Bill appeared to deal with matters specified in sub clause (e) of clause (1) of Article 110 of the Constitution and therefore, it being a Finance Bill of Category ‘A’, it can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha.
Mr Rao’s Private Bill on Special Category Status was supported by the Telugu Desam, the ruling party in AP, and by the YSR Congress, the main Opposition party in the AP Assembly, and other parties too, except the BJP.
Mr Kurien in his ruling said, “After going through the provisions of the Bill carefully and the considered advice given by the Ministry of Law and Justice on the issue, I hold that the AP Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2015 is a Finance Bill which can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha. Accordingly I terminate further discussion on the Bill forthwith and direct that the Bill be removed from the Register of Bills pending in the Council.”
