Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on Monday said unless Congress high command gives a green signal, his government would not be able to move a resolution on separate Telangana in the Assembly.
Responding to a demand raised jointly by TRS, BJP and CPI floor leaders at the Business Advisory Committee meeting of the Assembly, Mr. Reddy is stated to have clearly expressed his helplessness over the issue.
Interestingly, the Congress Legislature Party had listed Telangana as one of the 20 issues to be discussed in the Assembly, but it was not pressed in the BAC meeting.
The Chief Minister also rejected the demand made by the entire Opposition for extension of the present budget session by another ten days citing the impending Panchayat Raj elections. There was no chance as the government machinery would have to be geared up for the elections.
The meeting decided to hold the session for nine working days till June 21, leaving holidays on June 15 and 16. The agenda finalised includes debate on reports submitted to the House on Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs) for eight days beginning Tuesday. Two bills, Andhra Pradesh Municipal Laws (Amendment) Bill and AP Medical Practitioners Registration (Amendment) Bill, would be introduced while four other pending ones would come up for adoption.
There was no mention of the Bill ensuring legislative cover to ‘Bangaru Thalli’, the girl child protection scheme, in the list circulated to the floor leaders. The Chief Minister, however, clarified that the Bill would be introduced.
Sources said much of the meeting focussed on extension of the session with the Opposition bringing out several issues affecting people that need to be debated and the government remaining adamant.
At one point, Mr. Kiran Reddy is believed to have observed that if the members utilised the time allotted to them properly there would be no need for extension.
TDP deputy leader Ashok Gajapathi Raju highlighted how there had been a steady decline in the number of days of Assembly sittings every year since 2004. YSRC leader Vijayamma merely read out the list of issues to be raised by her party.
