Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Drought: Opposition stalls Question Hour

By Our Special Correspondent

Hyderabad Feb. 18. Four Opposition parties— the Congress, the BJP, the CPI (M) and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi — joined together in the Assembly this morning and stalled Question Hour for about 20 minutes pressing for a full-scale discussion on drought and related matters setting aside the regular agenda.

With the Speaker, K. Pratibha Bharati, rejecting their demand outright and disallowing the adjournment motions served by these parties to deal with the drought issues, the Congress and the CPI (M) members mobbed the podium and indulged in arguments with the Chair.

The Congress members entered the House this morning wearing black badges and waving placards and the communists offered perfect floor coordination sporting their own black badges. All of them and those of the BJP and the TRS remained on their legs demanding the debate, each on separate drought-related issues--the Congress on pending irrigation projects in Mahabubnagar district, the BJP on the severe drinking water shortage in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam cities, and the CPI (M) regarding "forcible collection of electricity (arrears) bills.

The Leader of the Opposition, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, pleaded with the Chair for a debate, citing the large number of the people who had come to the city from Mahabubnagar district today on a padayatra for placing their plight before the Governor and the Chief Minister. Rejecting the plea, Mrs Bharati, however, offered to post the matters sought to be raised through adjournment motions if the Opposition came through different fora, say a 304 notice.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Naidu rules out release of Cong. MLA
• Drought: Opposition stalls Question Hour
• Uranium reserves found in Nalgonda district: Minister
• Rights panel dubs it fake encounter
• Kalwakurthy project to have only three lifts: Srihari
• Self-styled Swamiji ends up behind bars
• Union election spurs Singareni workers into activity
• Medha Patkar asks people to save natural resources

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu