Sorry Andhra MLAs! You can’t break mikes here

Velagapudi: The Assembly building, which is receiving final touches on the premises of the Interim Government Complex (IGC) here, offers an antidote against the unruly scenes resulting in breaking of mikes on the floor of the House quite often.

The benches have been fitted with a small device in a rectangular shape called linear vocal microphone facing the members.

Once fitted, it cannot be unplugged and broken, said a technician Venkat engaged by the contracting firm Shapoorji and Pallonji, which is executing the IGC works.

He even staged a live demonstration on its ‘unique’ features and functions in a chat with The Hans India on Wednesday, asking the team to have empirical evidence by trying to break the equipment.

The devices were imported from Germany at the behest of the AP Assembly Speaker Dr Kodela Sivaprasada Rao as part of the endeavour to uphold the Parliamentary practices and decorum of the House by discouraging unruly behaviour by members.

A photo journalist on coverage of Assembly proceedings in Hyderabad for more than three decades in the undivided state, who was one of the visitors at the Assembly building, sought to draw a parallel with the Assembly buildings in Hyderabad.

“Violent scenes marked by damage of stick-like microphones during a session in 1984 convened enabling Nadendla Bhaskar Rao who succeeded NT Rama Rao through the backdoors to undergo the test of proving his majority on the floor of the House by voice vote coupled with raising of hands by members.

The similar unsavory scenes which, according to him, remained as dark chapters in the annals of the Assembly in the undivided state were witnessed when the Telangana movement at its peak by way of damaging mikes and furniture.

The senior journalist expressed the hope that the new Assembly building in the successor AP is unlikely to witness such scenes involving damage of mikes, thanks to the linear vocal microphone and the other fool-proof latest equipment in place.

The device offers a couple of in-built features of electronic voting system as a substitute to the manual form of hand raising and language interpreter enabling the translation of the speeches of members in multiple languages.

The Assembly is built on the ground floor with 225 seats in anticipation of delimitation of the Assembly constituencies by 2019 as against the strength of 175 at present. If delimitation happens, the number of seats will go up to 225 and another six seats meant for accommodation of officials.

The Well of the House __ the space between the Speaker’s podium and the aisle of members __ is not as spacious as the one in the House in Hyderabad, giving little scope for sit-ins by the opposition members. The staircase leading to the Chair is also narrow.

The seating arrangement is provided for the Leader of the House on the right side of the Chair while the Leader of Opposition on the left side as is the parliamentary practice.

The first floor facing the Speaker’s podium accommodates galleries for visitors, VIPs, officials and media. Besides, two conference halls each with 60 seats and another conference hall with 250 seats have been built.

In addition, offices for the floor leaders representing the BJP, TDP and the YSRC are built with an additional provision for another two offices.

The Assembly building has three entry points – one for the Chief Minister and officials, another two for ministers, their staff and visitors. Parking facility was provided on a sprawling five acres of land.

Meanwhile, Minister for Municipal Administration P Narayana told reporters that the inauguration of the Assembly building scheduled on February 10 was deferred in view of the women parliament to be held here from February 10.