Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

A.P. House proceedings stalled

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD MARCH 3. Normal proceedings in the A. P. Legislative Assembly were paralysed for over two hours on Monday when women members of the ruling TDP trooped into the well protesting against a remark by Congress member, Dharmana Prasada Rao, which they perceived was derogatory to women.

Winding up the budget debate, Mr. Rao said women members of a thrift group in Devudala village of Regidi mandal in Srikakalum district were running `belt shops' (slang for illicit vends operating in villages under cover of a legal outlet). This, he said, was discovered when officials escorted a group of bankers to see for themselves the model DWCRA (Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas) group.

His remark sparked off a prolonged turmoil in the House. Three women members -- Shobha Hymavathi, Shobha Nagi Reddy and Sharadamba -- rushed to the podium, while over a dozen others, including a Minister, Uma Madhava Reddy, staged a protest in the aisles.

The most vociferous of the protestors, egged on by the Government whips and a Minister, was K. Pushpaleela, who sat in the well.

In the din, women members demanded that Mr. Prasada Rao withdraw his remark and tender an apology for insulting women by portraying them as bootleggers. They were supported by several Ministers, including Y. Ramakrishnudu, K. Vidyadhara Rao and K. Srihari, who held that the DWCRA movement in AP had no parallel in the country since each woman member contributed one rupee a day to become eligible for a loan.

The 4.5 lakh DWCRA groups, boasting a total membership of 60 lakhs, had built a corpus of Rs. 1400 crores. Instead of lauding this achievement and encouraging rural womenfolk, Mr. Prasada Rao was trying to undermine their confidence. "He should respect the sentiments of women MLAs and sportively withdraw his remark,'' Mr. Srihari demanded.

In no mood to oblige the Treasury Benches, Mr. Prasada Rao repeatedly highlighted the irony of the situation in Andhra Pradesh where women once forced the Government to impose total prohibition. The same Government was now fixing sales targets for liquor shops through written orders. He was supported by the Leader of the Opposition, Y. S Rajasekhara Reddy, who proposed adjournment of the House to facilitate scrutiny of the records. If the Congress member had indeed used derogatory words, he would apologise. Dr. Reddy criticised the TDP members for not uttering a word in condemnation when women workers of anganwadi centres were trampled upon by horses and forced to retreat by the police using water cannons while staging a protest in Hyderabad last year. He suggested that a House Committee headed by Mrs. Pushpaleela be constituted to verify the `specific information' furnished by Mr. Prasada Rao about the goings-on in Devudala village. He could be hauled up if his disclosure turned out false.

As the impasse continued, the Deputy Speaker, K. Hareeswar Reddy, acting on a suggestion from Mr. Ramakrishnudu, adjourned the House to scrutinise the records.

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