Assembly passes 16 demands

Hyderabad: Demands of as many as 16 departments were passed unanimously in the Telangana State Assembly on Monday even as the ruling Telangana Rastra Samithi (TRS) government patted its own back for the successful transaction of business in the House. Giving clarifications on matter raised by members, Irrigation and Legislative Affairs minister T Harish Rao said the Government has adopted the Land Acquisition Act as passed by the previous UPA government.

On the other hand, demands of municipal administration and urban development, panchayati raj, rural development, roads, buildings and ports, major and medium irrigation, minor irrigation, energy, revenue, registration and relief, excise administration, commercial taxes, transport, home, agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries, co-operation and civil supplies were passed after almost 12-hour long debate.

When Congress and BJP members wanted to know which of the Land Acquisition Acts were being followed by the TRS government, Harish clarified that the TRS government has not encountered any problem, as the UPA Act and the Land Acquisition Act as sought to be amended by the NDA government, have the same provisions when it comes to acquiring land for government purpose. He added that the two Acts differ when it comes to acquiring land for PPP projects or for SEZs.

Harish Rao said that complete transparency is being ensured in the tendering process of Mission Kakatiya through the online system, also called e-procurement. Out of the 3000 tanks for which tenders were finalised, more than 90 per cent of them went to those who quoted less. Harish Rao reiterated that the TRS government has done away completely with the EPC system. He further clarified that the TRS government will make bigger allocations to projects in advanced stage of completion, like the four projects in Mahabubnagar (Nettempadu, Kalwakurthi and other places) but added that the Jurala-Pakala and Palamuru Lift Irrigation scheme are also of top priority to the government.

State Panchayati Raj and IT minister K Taraka Rama rao said the state government has blacklisted infrastructure companies that have turned financially bankrupt and no such company will be entertained in tenders to the Drinking Water Grid project. KTR said that the government was favourable to introduce social audit for the ‘Aasara’ pension scheme to remove ineligible beneficiaries.

Roads and Buildings Minister Tummala Nageswar Rao said the target date for completion of Krishna Phase-III of drinking water supply to Hyderabad was July 2015 and for bringing 172 MGD of water from Godavari to the city is September 2015. Finance and Civil Supplies Minister Eatala Rajender said Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao was pursuing the matter related to hiking of rice levy by FCI with the NDA government.

Commercial Taxes Minister Talasani Srinivas said the government would focus on increasing the tax net only and not on raising taxes, including VAT. Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy said the government has started cage farming of fish at six locations on a pilot basis. Excise Minister Padma Rao Goud said licences of unscrupulous Toddy Compound Societies would be cancelled if any malpractice was detected. Transport Minister P Mahender Reddy said that an AC bus service would be operated from Hyderabad to each of the District headquarters in the state.