No consensus on full statehood to Delhi, says Venkaiah

Hyderabad, May 30

There is no consensus on the issue of full statehood to Delhi and the situation on the ground has not changed, Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu has said.

“That issue is pending since long. There is no consensus on that issue. The situation has not changed on the ground.

“Simply, the AAP has come to power, that’s why it is saying. The Congress was in power for last 10 years. They did not,” he told PTI here during an interview.

He was replying to a query on the demand of full statehood to Delhi.

The AAP government had on May 18 released a draft Bill on full statehood to Delhi, seeking to bring police, land, municipal corporations and bureaucracy under its control and invited suggestions from the public till June 30, opening another front for tussle with the Centre.

According to ‘The State of Delhi Bill 2016’ placed on government’s website for public comments, New Delhi (NDMC) and Delhi Cantonment areas will be kept out of the jurisdiction of the proposed Delhi state. The term Lt Governor will be replaced with ‘Governor’. — PTI