A concerted demand by the Opposition for tabling the report of the Cabinet sub-committee on SC/ST sub-plans in the Assembly on Friday was turned down by Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on the ground that it was the property of the Cabinet and confidential.
It was a rare occasion when the Assembly began its winter session on an unusually quiet note. In fact, the Opposition showed solidarity with the ruling Congress in cheering when Mr. Reddy introduced the draft Bill to give legislative backing to the sub-plans.
Akbaruddin Owaisi (MIM) proposed an adjournment motion, seeking tabling of the report to enable the members to know its original contents but it was disallowed. Speaker Nadendla Manohar adjourned the House for the day after announcing that the Bill was introduced.
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Mr. Kiran Reddy said the Cabinet sub-committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister C. Damodar Rajanarsimha had submitted its report after completing its entire work “commendably” in four months. The report was within the jurisdiction of the Cabinet and a discussion on it may lead to unwarranted developments. He, however, offered that the committee chairman and members would highlight its salient features on Saturday. He asserted that the sub-plans would be implemented with effect from 2013-14 budget since four months were still available before its presentation to the Legislature. He was confident that implementation of these plans for the next ten years would bring the SCs and STs on a par with others, realising the goals of Directive Principles of State Policy and the dream of Dr B. R. Ambedkar.
The Chief Minister said he opted for the legislation since the guidelines of Planning Commission/ National Developmental Council for the sub-plans had remained just that. In the absence of a legislation, a share of expenditure was attributed to SC/ST allocations even in case of Necklace Road and Hussainsagar cleaning. He paid glowing tributes to the late Indira Gandhi, recalling the original proposal made by her for the sub-plans in 1975-76 and to Sonia Gandhi for insisting on NDC/ Planning Commission to adopt them.