Date:01/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/01/stories/2008120150570100.htm

Front Page

Winter Assembly session likely to be stormy

– Photo: P.V. Sivakumar

Taking precautions: Steel barricades being put up around the Assembly in Hyderabad on Sunday, ahead of the winter session beginning Monday.

HYDERABAD: The short winter session of the Assembly commencing on Monday is expected to be stormy with the Opposition planning to corner the government on a host of issues.

The Opposition has decided to raise issues like ‘corruption in high places’, ‘clean chit’ given to the government by the Public Accounts Committee on Yellampally project in the absence of the Chairman, deteriorating financial health, arbitrary land allotments and Special Economic Zones.

The session will be held just for five days. On the first day, the House will adjourn after paying homage to former Prime Minister V.P. Singh and mourning the victims of Mumbai’s terror strikes.

Following a Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting on Sunday where the agenda was decided, the Opposition leaders accused the government of trying to “run away” from debate as the five-day session was “grossly inadequate” to take up important public issues. They have demanded that the session be extended to at least 15 days but the government has rejected it.

TDP deputy leaders Y. Ramakrishnudu and N. Janardhan Reddy, CPI (M) floor leader Nomula Narsimhaiah, his CPI counterpart Chada Venkat Reddy, TRS floor leader E. Rajender and BJP MLA G. Kishan Reddy attended the BAC meeting.

Surprise expressed

They alleged that the “token session” was convened for passage of Bills including the amendment to the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act to enable the government to borrow loans for tiding over the financial crisis.

On their demand for extending the session, the Opposition leaders expressed surprise at Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s reported remark that the Congress increased number of days of the Assembly from 50 to 51 during its current term and “it will take nine more terms for conceding the demand for 60-day sittings.”

Government Chief Whip N. Kiran Kumar Reddy said there was no justification for the Opposition’s demand for a 15-day session as evident from its past behaviour when proceedings were frequently disrupted. The Opposition, however, insisted that the ruling party reconsider its decision.