The Hindu : Heated debate over allotment of house sites to MLAs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 27, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Heated debate over allotment of house sites to MLAs

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD March 26. The Assembly witnessed a heated debate on the issue of allotment of house sites to legislators in the twin cities on Wednesday even as the main Opposition Congress demanded that the Government clarify its stand on the issue in the interest of MLAs of all political parties.

The proceedings were stalled for over 20 minutes with the senior Congress member, V. Purushottam Reddy, insisting that the Government revive the practice of allotting house sites to MLAs as was done by the previous governments. Raising the issue during zero hour, Mr. Reddy said a majority of MLAs in the present House belonged to poor families without any own residences and hence, the Government should take steps to provide them with house sites in the twin cities. The legislators were not asking the Government to give the house sites free of cost and the Government could fix a price to the house site which would be repaid by the legislators.

"The people outside have a feeling that all the legislators are cheats which is preventing MLAs from going to their respective places. Moreover, since we had been elected to the Assembly we will always face threats from the naxalites whether we are elected next time or not. In view of this, the Government should take steps to allot house sites for MLAs in the twin cities,'' he said.

Mr. Reddy's remarks immediately evoked strong protest from the treasury benches with the Minister for Major Industries, K. Vidyadhara Rao, taking objections to the Congress member calling the legislators as cheats. He claimed that people might have some adverse views about the Congress but not the TDP which, he claimed, was a disciplined party. This had only prompted Mr. Purushottam Reddy to demand that the Government conduct a secret ballot to ascertain the mood of the legislators on the issue which would bring out the fact whether a majority of them were in favour of getting a house site or not.

However, the Minister for Finance and Legislative Affairs, Y Ramakrishnudu, who responded on behalf of the Government, said the House was expected to discuss issues pertaining to people but not those pertaining to legislators. The Government, on its part, had given priority to the legislators in all the works being taken up in their respective constituencies besides giving Rs. 35 lakhs for them under the decentralised planning.

The Congress member, M.V. Mysoora Reddy, who intervened at this juncture said that Congress members were not getting the Rs. 35 lakhs being allocated under the decentralised planning and in fact, the amounts were being kept at the discretion of the ruling TDP in-charges in the constituencies held by the Congress.

Though the Speaker, K. Pratibha Bharati, adjourned the House for a tea break, the Congress members raised the issue immediately after the House reassembled leading to heated exchange of words between the treasury and Opposition benches. It was only after the leader of the Congress Legislature Party, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, asked Congress members to resume their seats that the proceedings continued.

Earlier, Mr. Reddy was supported by the floor leader of the BJP, N Indrasena Reddy, who wanted the Government to take a serious look into the matter and respond positively to the member's plea for the house site.

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