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Council fares better than Assembly
When the ruling TDP’s writ runs in the AP Assembly during the current monsoon session in the wake of the boycott of the YSRCP, the elders’ House (Legislative Council) lives up to its sobriquet, lending an expression to public voice on various issues, pushing the treasury benches into a tight spot at times. The tone and the tenor of the upper and the lower Houses in the last two days brings to the
Amaravati: When the ruling TDP’s writ runs in the AP Assembly during the current monsoon session in the wake of the boycott of the YSRCP, the elders’ House (Legislative Council) lives up to its sobriquet, lending an expression to public voice on various issues, pushing the treasury benches into a tight spot at times. The tone and the tenor of the upper and the lower Houses in the last two days brings to the fore this picture of contrast.
The Assembly with 175 seats is vertically divided between the TDP-BJP combine and the YSRCP with no space for ombudsmen-like groups unlike in the previous House representing the undivided state.
On contrary, the Legislative Council with 58 seats, with a mixed composition, presents a different picture with vocal voices from Progressive Democratic Front (4), three independents, one each from the Congress and PRTU. Besides, the BJP with two members is mincing no words when situation demands, thanks to its leader Somu Veerraju, a diehard critic of the ruling the TDP. Seldom does the alliance with the TDP deter the BJP from calling a spade a spade in the Council.
One could clearly figure out the contrasting scenes in both the Houses during the Day-2 sessions with a naked eye from the media galleries. Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao was seen relaxed in his chair in the Assembly with his word went unquestioned even while tabling of the controversial bill seeking an amendment to the AP Farmers Management of Irrigation Systems Act, 1997.
The amendment intended for constitution of the defunct water users’ associations (WUA) through “selection”, replacing the provision for election.
The Bill was tabled without even a mild criticism even from the BJP members, two of them hold cabinet portfolios in the TDP government. In a similar fashion, the government received only bouquets for its `proactive’ measures in addressing distress conditions in tomato growers in the backward Rayalaseema region.
Even as price crash is disheartening the growers, marketing minister C Adinarayana Reddy and Kadiri MLA Chand Bhasha, who defected from the YSRCP, excessively praised Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for his market intervention initiatives which, they said, alleviated the growers’ plight to a large extent.
But sparks flew in the Legislative Council right from the question hour. PDF members turned heat on Deputy Speaker Reddy Subramanyam, pushing for a special motion on boat tragedy in the Krishna river that claimed 20 lives.
Even as the Chair disallowed the motion, they insisted for payment of Rs 25 lakh towards ex-gratia and a job for each of the bereaved family members. Independent member Katti Narasimha Reddy spared no efforts to lay bare `ambiguity’ in the government on the question of increasing power charges.
Replying to a question, Energy minister Kala Venkata Rao said the issue of hike in power charges will be left to the Discoms. But Reddy reminded CM Naidu’s categorical assurance against upward revision of tariff and at last pin down the minister, forcing him to retract from his statement.
The BJP floor leader in the inaugural session in the Council cornered Minister for Labour and Employment Pitani Satyanarayana for allegedly taking credit of a slew of insurance schemes introduced by the NDA government for welfare of workers by allocating Rs 160cr in the name of “Chandranna Bheema Scheme”.
Y Srinivasa Reddy and Boddu Nageswara Rao from the PDF stalled the session for some time, forcing the Speaker to allow an adjournment motion facilitating a discussion on effective measures to save gullible depositors from fraudulent financial companies such as AgriGold and Akshaya Gold.
BY G Nagaraja
