'Telangana Bill passage should not send wrong message'

Holding that there are severe shortcomings in the current form of Telangana Bill, Union minister M Pallam Raju on Tuesday said it should not be passed in a manner that sends a wrong message and permanently hurt sentiments.

"As it is, a wrong message has gone to the Seema-Andhara people that the manner in which the bill has proceeded is not proper. I hope that by passing the bill in a din, another wrong message will not be given which will permanently hurt people's sentiment," Raju told reporters outside Parliament before the bill was passed.

Lok Sabha passed the controversial bill to create a Telangana state by dividing Andhra Pradesh after live proceedings of Parliament were stopped.

The Union minister from the Seema-Andhara region said there are severe shortcomings in the current form of the bill for the creation of Telangana and there are concerns of the people who have settled in and around Hyderabad.

"The current provision of giving special powers to the governor is not adequate for providing an effective security cover to people who have settled in and around Andhra and Rayalseema," Raju said.

"And as far as the financial resources are concerned, we will be in a severe constrained position and that has not been addressed satisfactorily," he added.