Date:27/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/27/stories/2007072752680600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Stormy scenes in Assembly

Marathon debate after the Left parties stall Question Hour

CPI(M), CPI members rush towards Speaker’s podium and raise slogans
Naidu accuses Government of doing injustice to poor

Photo: Mohammed Yousuf

Question hour: Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu presents his view on Obulapuram mines before the media in the Assembly lobbies in Hyderabad on Thursday with M.V. Mysoora Reddy and Janardhan Reddy

HYDERABAD: The issue of land distribution to the poor dominated the Assembly proceedings on Thursday leading to a marathon debate after the Left parties stalled the Question Hour and forced an adjournment on the issue.

As soon as the House met, CPI(M) and CPI members rushed towards the Speaker’s podium and raised slogans demanding a discussion after their adjournment motions on the issue were rejected. The TRS members, holding placards, also trooped into the well seeking a debate on the alleged privatisation of Singareni Collieries on which their adjournment notice was disallowed.

As the din continued in spite of repeated appeals, Speaker K.R.Suresh Reddy adjourned the House. After it re-assembled, Mr. Reddy announced that the land issue would be taken up.

Slams Government

Participating in the discussion, Leader of the Opposition, N.Chandrababu Naidu, lashed out at the Government and accused it of doing injustice to the poor.

He said that under Indiramma, Rs.1,000 crore was earmarked in the budget in the last two years, but only Rs.131 crore was released and Rs.98 crore spent.

This was nothing but deception.

He said the 4.37 lakh acres which the Government claimed to have been distributed was only on paper.

Acrimonious exchanges were witnessed between the Congress and TDP members during Mr. Naidu’speech.

He said the pattas given by the TDP regime to the poor were cancelled and demanded that they be restored to the beneficiaries.

Land reforms panel

Apart from providing assignment lands to the poor, he wanted house sites and houses to be provided to the poor and middle classes.

He demanded that an independent land reforms commission be appointed and implementation of the recommendations of the Land Committee headed by Municipal Administration Minister Koneru Ranga Rao.

Mr. Naidu said the Government lands in which the poor had erected huts should be regularised and wanted the applications for house sites to be disposed of in a time-bound manner.

He also sought an inquiry into the irregularities in Indiramma scheme and withdrawal of cases booked during ‘Bhoo Poratam’.

Naidu lambasted

D. Manikya Varaprasad (Congress) in a trenchant attack on Mr.Naidu, said his “true colours” were revealed in his book “Plain Speaking”. In the book, he advocated scrapping of all kinds subsidies (to the poor) and made suggestions against land reforms.

He also criticised the Left parties saying they were no paragons of virtue.

Gummadi Narsaiah (CPI-ML New Democracy) alleged that the Government was suppressing “Bhoo Poratam” instead of resolving land issues.

He said land distribution was an important issue that figured in the Government-naxalite talks and demanded implementation of the Koneru Ranga Rao Committee recommendations.