Hyderabad:
Political parties have called for a shutdown in the newly formed state of Telangana on Saturday to protest the passage of the Polavaram Bill in Lok Sabha for the merger of over 200 villages of Telangana with Andhra Pradesh.
The Lok Sabha passed the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2014 or Polavaram Bill on Friday amid protests by Members of Parliament from Telangana.
The strike has been called by the Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC), which spearheaded the movement for separate statehood for Telangana, and parties of the Left Front.
TJAC chairman M Kodandaram told reporters that the Centre's decision to pass the bill without the consent of Telangana is against the federal spirit.
Parties of the Left Front have also opposed the passage of the Polvaram Bill. Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist (CPI-ML) have also called for a shutdown in Telangana.
The Polavaram Bill will merge 205 villages under seven
mandals of Khammam district of Telangana with Andhra Pradesh.
These villages are likely to be submerged by the Polvaram project, which is being built across the Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh. The central government's move is to prevent any inter-state dispute.