SC/ST sub-plan Act rocks Telangana Assembly

There was misunderstanding between Mr Srihari and Opposition leaders over the “adoption of the Act.”

He told MIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi that the miscommunication was due to the latter’s “fluency in English.” The crossfire escalated as IT minister K.T. Rama Rao compared an agitated Congress to the Pakistan cricket team “with one captain and 10 former captains.” PCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy retorted that unlike the TRS, “the Congress is a democratic party and not a one family party.”

The confusion began when the Deputy CM said that the SC/ST Sub-plan Act was yet to be adopted in the state with the requisite amendments. Congress legislator J. Geeta Reddy asked him how the government was making financial allocations when the state hadn’t adopted the Act. Mr Srihari clarified that the AP Reorgani-sation Act provided for the laws in force in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh to automatically be in vogue in both the states.

MIM legislator Akbar-uddin Owaisi and Congress leader M. Bhatti Vikramarka who just arrived in the House, accused the Deputy CM of misleading the House and quoted the sections of the AP Reorganisation Act. Mr Vikramarka alleged that the government was not implementing the Act fully.

The fight escalated until Mr Srihari clarified again that the Act was already in vogue, but changes and amendments are yet to be made. “Mr Owaisi is fluent in English. That is why he is trying to win the debate. I didn’t try to mislead the House,” Mr Srihari said.

However, an unrelenting Mr Vikramarka continued to say that though the Act was in vogue, it was not being implemented. “You have not framed any rules. The Act is in force, but you are not implementing it,” he said.

Congress continued to protest accusing that nothing is going on as per rules in the House despite Leader of Opposition K Jana Reddy saying he was sitting in protest against the government reply. To this, IT Minister KT Rama Rao said, “You are casting aspersions on the Chair. Congress is like Pakistan cricket team with one captain and ten former captains.” He was referring to Jana Reddy as the captain and other leaders as former captains. PCC President N Uttam Kumar Reddy retorted saying, “We are a 130 year old democratic party unlike the TRS which is a one family party,” Uttam Kumar Reddy said.