Budget session resumes after 3-month recess

Sparks fly at Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meet

Hyderabad: The second phase of the budget session of the State Assembly resumed on Monday after a recess of about three months. The House paid rich tributes to its sitting member Ambati Brahmanaiah, who passed away in April this year.

The election mood among all the parties was evident as each one had a long list of issues which they wanted to raise during the ten-day session. While the government said that it was ready to discuss any issue and asked the opposition parties to take the responsibility for smooth conduct of the House, the opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu said that the responsibility to ensure smooth conduct of the House was more on the government. For the past four years the Assembly has been witnessing more number of adjournments and had hardly discussed any important issue, he is understood to have told Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy.

The hour-long Business Advisory Committee meeting witnessed some sparks flying between the Chief Minister and Naidu. While the former quipped that the latter was not attending the house and that there was no floor coordination between the opposition parties though they have common issues, Naidu is learnt to have shot back saying that the Congress party was responsible for the situation. Political situation in the State had become fluid for which the State and Central governments were responsible. It would be better if this issue was not raked up at this meeting, Naidu told Kiran Reddy.

The committee has decided that the session would continue till June 21 and the government would introduce a Bill giving statutory status to Bangaru Thalli scheme. The TDP asked the government to see that the notification for Panchayat elections was issued soon. The Chief Minister said that the government was ready to conduct the elections and was waiting for the election commission to decide on the dates. Naidu is said to have quipped, if the government was ready EC would come up with the notification.

When Naidu along with left parties demanded extension of the duration of the session, TRS floor leader E Rajender quipped saying, "what is the use of extending the House? The leader of opposition anyway does not participate in the proceedings". The TRS insisted that a resolution on separate Telangana be passed during the session to which the Chief Minister said that unless the Centre takes a decision on the issue, there was nothing the government could do.

The YSRCP wanted the House to discuss issues like delay in according national projects status to Chevella, Polavaram, irregularities in Jalayagnam, drinking water problems in the rural areas and farmers' problems. The house will discuss one report a day submitted by the departmental-related standing committees and on June 21, the Appropriation Bill will be passed.