The stage is all set for commencement of the monsoon session of the State Legislature from Friday.
The previous session was adjourned on March 26 after the passage of the Appropriation Bill for the current fiscal and the next session of the Legislature should be held within 180 days of the adjournment, falling on September 25. The session is likely to see passage of eight Bills including one relating to an Act to keep a check on the activities of touts duping tourists to the State capital and two more relating to the changes in the Goods and Services Tax that were made since the adjournment of the previous session.
Another Bill relating to reorganisation of certain villages that were merged with the municipal bodies nearby is also expected to be tabled in the session. Two ordinances relating to Housing and setting up of Horticulture University are likely to be replaced by relevant Acts during the session, according to sources.
The House is expected to start with the Question Hour that would be followed by the Zero Hour and short discussion on issues of immediate public importance. The meeting of the Business Advisory Committees would follow after the lunch break to decide about the duration of the session as well as the priority items that should be included in the agenda.
The State government has asked the departments to keep the details of their activities since the last session updated. In a circular issued to the departments, the government has asked the departments to send a note on the activities of the respective department including the schemes being implemented and the initiatives that were taken as also the details of the important programmes.
Proforma had been circulated to the departments asking them to mention the scheme, the year of its launch, the number of beneficiaries and the amount spent so far. “Notes relating to the information has been received from all the departments,” a senior GAD official told The Hindu .
Arrangements reviewed
Meanwhile, Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy convened a meeting of senior officials including top officials of the Police department on the arrangements that are being made for the smooth conduct of the session. Addressing the participants, he said the session should be conducted in a transparent way like the previous Budget session and there was need for cooperation from the government officials in this regard.
Officials should keep the information about their respective programmes ready so that it could be circulated among the members as and when asked. Departments should nominate nodal officers who should be present in the House and steps should be taken to furnish replies for the questions asked by the members in the previous session. Steps should also be taken to ensure strict adherence to COVID-19 appropriate behaviour and protocols issued from time to time.
In addition to ensuring that peaceful atmosphere prevailed inside the House, officials should focus on ensuring that there were no untoward incidents on the Legislature premises too. The Police department in particular should extend their utmost cooperation in the smooth conduct of the session, he said, thanking the officials for the effective conduct of the sessions as compared to several other States.
