1-day Assembly session to ratify GST

​Hyderabad: Will the TS Assembly session just be a one-day affair as the Cabinet has decided or will the government agree to the demand of the opposition parties to extend it by a few more days? This is the big question before the opposition parties.

The opposition parties Congress, TDP and BJP on Monday held separate meetings and were gearing up for a stormy session of the Assembly. They wanted to corner the government on the issue of the agreement Telangana government had signed with Maharashtra in regard to irrigation projects on River Godavari in the Assembly.

But the indication they got after the Cabinet meeting was that it would just be a one-day session to ratify the 122 Constitutional amendment which was adopted by Parliament for the enactment of much awaited GST (Goods and Services Tax) Bill.

Talking to The Hans India, the Congress deputy floor leader T Jeevan Reddy and BJP floor leader G Kishen Reddy said that they would however demand the government to convene the BAC meeting and hold the session for at least 15 days.

CLP Secretary T Rammohan Reddy and Whip A Sampath Kumar said that the Congress Legislature Party has identified several issues which they would like to discuss in the Assembly. Taking strong objection to the State government’s decision to hold one day session, Rammohan Reddy said the government cannot run away from its responsibility of discussing important issues like farmers suicide, delay in implementing crop loan waiver scheme,

drought conditions and other issues like fee reimbursement, Eamcet-2 paper leakage case, formation of new districts, disqualification of legislators who defected to TRS, 12 per cent reservation for Muslims and STs in view of submission of reports by Sudhir Commission and Chellappa Commission and encounter of gangster Nayeem.

The BJP has also come up with a long list of issues that it would like to discuss during the session. Apart from the pact with Maharashtra, the issues include celebrating Telangana Liberation Day as official function, carving of new districts, land acquisition for irrigation projects by the government, redesigning of irrigation projects, irregularities in tenders for Mission Bhagiratha, misuse of funds meant for Mission Kakatiya and two bed room housing scheme.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet decided to ratify the Ordinance that was promulgated for the bifurcation of the Cyberabad Police Commissionerates into East and West during the one-day session. Similarly, it also wants to get the nod of the Assembly for increase of members in the temple trust boards from the present 9 to 14. This proposal was cleared by the Cabinet on Monday.

Sources said that during the two-hour long meeting, the Cabinet discussed in detail the proposed formation of new districts and the demands raised by people especially in Mahabubnagar and Warangal districts for Jangaon and Gajwel districts.

The historical agreement entered into by Telangana State with Maharashtra on the construction of irrigation projects on River Godavari and its tributaries and the hue and cry being raised by opposition parties also came in for discussion at the Cabinet meeting. KCR is said to have explained in detail about the reasons taken to enter into the pact with Maharashtra and the benefits the State would get in the form of optimum utilisation of Godavari water once the projects were completed.