Assembly to discuss power tariff today

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, AUG. 9. The Assembly will take up discussion on the hike in power tariff on Thursday dispensing with Question Hour and other agenda. However, it will adopt a resolution condoling the death of S. Nijalingappa, former Chief Minister of Karnataka.

The decision was taken by the Business Advisory Committee (BAC), which met after the House adjourned following adoption of a resolution condoling the death of P. Indra Reddy, Congress member from Chevella.

With the Government accepting the Opposition demand for a debate, there will be no need for the Congress to translate its threat of `paralysing the House' on the contentious issue or table an adjournment notice. Both sides appeared happy at the BAC decision. Sources said the Government wanted to make a statement on the issue, but the Opposition insisted on a debate.

The House will sit until September 16 (covering 28 working days) and commence proceedings at 8:30 a.m. instead of 9 a.m. from August 11. It will sit on all Saturdays beginning August 19. The budget will be presented on August 14.

It will take up discussion on the report of the 11th Finance Commission on August 16. Predictably, the focus at today's meeting of the Telugu Desam Legislature Party was on hike in power charges.

Addressing the TDLP meeting, the Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, called upon MLAs to effectively counter the Opposition onslaught on the hike in power tariff during the discussion in the Assembly.

Critics may gain temporary advantage by creating confusion or misappre-hensions, but they can be met with factual information on the issue, he said, adding ``information is the best weapon to fight untruth.'' At the same time, he said, they should refuse to fall prey to the Congress attempts to provoke and maintain utmost restraint.

The focus of his hour-long speech was on meeting the Opposition challenge on the power tariff issue and the crippling effect of the 11th Finance Commission (EFC) recommendations on the State's precarious finances.

He said the Congress in successive poll manifestos talked about economic and power reforms and hailed Orissa reforms as trend- setter. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan and other Congress-run States were vigorously pursuing reforms while the same party opposed it tooth and nail in Andhra Pradesh.

The Government's policy on power was clear. Reforms would continue to ensure quality and uninterrupted power. In the next few months, agricultural and domestic services would be separated at the mandal level to facilitate uninterrupted and quality supply to domestic sector. This would be extended to villages in due course.

The Chief Minister pointed out that the Government had succeeded in ensuring that the farm sector did not suffer for want of power, which was why despite looming drought in 800 out of 1,100 mandals, the State recorded 132 lakh tonnes of food production. It was also managing the unexpected demand during the latest 15- day dry spell when the demand reached 143 million units.

It would cost Rs. 415 crores additionally to regularise 19 lakh domestic connections (9 lakh unauthorised and 10 lakh new) identified recently and another Rs. 711 crores for regularising 2.86 lakh farm connections.

``We have nothing to feel diffident about. Let us tell people what all we are doing for them through the floor of the House,'' he said.

Mr. Chandrababu Naidu spoke about the `grave injustice' done to the State by the EFC report and underlined the need to `put pressure on Delhi.' Every effort was made over the past few years to cut non-plan expenditure, wasteful spending and instil fiscal discipline.

``A situation has come where we have to borrow even to fund our Plan.'' He regretted that certain political parties, voluntary bodies and vested interests persisted in whipping up fears that 1 of 70 (land transfer regulation in agency areas) would be amended despite repeated assertions by him and at the Government level that it would not be amended.

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Section  : Southern States
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