TS Assembly passes Bill on user rights

Oppn flays govt for acquiring rights, prohibiting construction

Hyderabad: The Telangana State government on Wednesday passed the Telangana Domestic and Industrial Water Grid Pipeline (Acquisition of User Right in Land) Bill 2015 for the prestigious drinking water grid project amidst stiff opposition from the Congress and BJP members.

Speaking on the bill, Congress member T Jeevan Reddy said it was anti-farmer as it sought to acquire only user’s right but prohibits the farmer or landowner from planting trees or constructing any building. He felt that the bill was brought in haste and demanded that the government re-examine it and introduce it at a later stage after making necessary amendments. BJP floor leader K Lakshman said the bill would affect the urban dwellers also as the water Grid pipelines were likely to pass through HMDA (Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority) areas.

According to Lakshman, people in four districts of Medak, Ranga Reddy, Nalgonda and Warangal were suffering due to the gas pipeline laid by Reliance between Kakinada and Jamnagar in Gujarat. He said the landowners cannot take up any construction within the radius of 100 feet of the pipeline, 30 feet on one side and 70 feet on the other side. CPI and CPI-M members also opposed the Bill. The MIM, which is an ally of the government, supported the bill.

Minister for Panchayat Raj K T Rama Rao told the House that the bill was almost identical to the one passed by Gujarat in the year 2000 to lay drinking water grid pipelines when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the CM of that state. The Congress members alleged that the provision of six-month imprisonment for damaging the pipeline would turn farmers into watchmen. KTR tried to persuade the Opposition, saying that the penal provision would apply to those who would “willfully” damage the pipeline.

However, the Opposition parties were not convinced. The Bill was finally passed after Congress, BJP, the lone members of CPI and CPI-M staged a walkout. The government also faced stiff opposition from Congress and BJP in regard to the bill to reduce the term of Agricultural Market Committee chairperson from three years to one year and also reduction in membership from 18 to 14 members.

The opposition members opposed the provision that the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson shall hold the office” during the pleasure of the government.” P Kishta Reddy, Congress, said the bill was brought in only to remove all Congress office-bearers in market committees and replace them with TRS leaders. Opposition leader K Jana Reddy said the government itself would find it difficult to replace Chairpersons every year. Jana Reddy called it a “laughable bill” and warned the government that his party would take the issue to people.

State Marketing and Legislative affairs Minister Harish Rao, who piloted the bill, launched a counter-attack saying that it was the Congress which had brought down the term from 5 years to 3 years. However, the bill was passed by a voice-vote. The house also passed the bill to provide for establishment of police commssionerate in Warangal Metropolitan area, Home Minister Naini Narasimha Reddy said the police stations under Warangal, Hanamkonda, Kakatiya University, Kazipet and Wardhannapet were declared as Metropolitan Area of Warangal for the purpose of making it a commissionerate.

Though all the opposition parties supported the bill, the BJP and the Left parties demanded that the government improve the working conditions of home guards and traffic constables. In reply, the Minister said the home guards would be given a salary of Rs. 3,000 from the month of April. They would also get uniform dress, sick leave facility and bus pass.

Among other bills that were passed are establishment of police commissionerate for the metropolitan area of Warangal, a Bill on Parliamentary Secretaries and another bill on amendment to the Telangana Value Added Tax. The Telangana State Assembly towards the end of the day gullitoned 18 out of 40 demands for grants.