The budget session of the Telangana Legislature began on a stormy note on Saturday with Opposition members and TRS legislators clashing in the House during Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan’s address to the joint session.
The House met at 11 a.m., and Opposition members were on their feet demanding that legislators who have defected to the TRS in the last few months should be disqualified immediately.
Congress, TDP, BJP and Left legislators raised slogans deriding the TRS Government for encouraging defections. They tore the Governor’s speech copies and hurled them towards the Chair.
Congress MLAs Sampath Kumar and T. Rammohan Reddy, and TDP members, A. Revanth Reddy, Errabelli Dayakar Rao and others tried to rush into the Well but were prevented by TRS legislators, who formed a security chain around the podium.
TDP members were demanding the sacking of Commercial Taxes Minister Talasani Srinivasa Yadav, who had defected to the TRS from TDP. Amidst the pandemonium, the Governor continued with his speech and concluded it in less than 15 minutes. TDP members alleged that Mr. Revanth Reddy, Mr. Dayakar Rao, Prakash Goud and Mr. Madhavaram Krishna Rao were allegedly assaulted by TRS legislators.
Meanwhile, the Governor in his address said the TRS Government was striving hard to achieve all-round development of the State. He projected the State’s GSDP growth for 2015-16 at 5.35 per cent.
Mr. Narasimhan said the industrial growth last year was 4.1 per cent while the service sector grew by 9.7 per cent. The per capita income of Telangana was Rs. 1,03,889 against Rs. 95,361 in 2013-14.
He said the Government was committed to give 12 per cent quota planned for Scheduled Tribes, while Rs. 25,000 crore would be spent on BC development over the next five years. The TRS Government has launched the ‘Kalyana Laxmi’ scheme for financial benefit to girls in poor SC, ST, minority families for their weddings, he said.
Spelling out welfare measures, he said the ‘Arogya Laxmi’ scheme to provide nutritious meal to lactating women was launched recently. He said 43 per cent fitment was given to TS employees.
The Governor said plans were afoot to increase green cover from 25.16 per cent to 33 per cent of total geographical area. Plans are on the anvil to create one lakh acre of irrigation potential in every assembly constituency. With ‘Mission Kakatiya’ taken up for restoring minor irrigation tanks, he said that the Water Grid was planned to provide safe drinking water to every household.
In the next three years, 6,000 MW capacity would be added to boost power generation in the State.
