Tough time for police as Telangana, AP Budget Session to be held simultaneously

Hyderabad: Police and watch and ward staff of both Telangana and AP state legislative bodies will have a tough time next month when for the first time after bifurcation, both states will have the Budget Session almost simultaneously.

The Andhra Pradesh Assembly and Legislative Council will commence its budget session from March 7 and for Telangana it would be either on March 6 or 9. Since they are budget sessions, both state houses need to function at least for a minimum 16 sittings that will be on simultaneously.

After bifurcation in June last year, both houses had a couple of sittings but at different times. This is going to be the first time for both states to have their sessions at the same time in view of meeting the statutory deadline of passing financial bills before March 31.

However police and watch and ward staff of both the Houses will be put to test about their ability to ease possible tensions among legislators due to several burning issues like sharing of power and water that may escalate at the time of facing each other.

There are only two entrances and two exits for both the Assemblies and only one entrance and exit for the Legislative Councils. Though there is no change in the total number of legislators even now compared with the undivided state, protocol and security wise there are lot of changes.

Now there are two Chief Ministers, four Deputy Chief Ministers, two Speakers, two Deputy Speakers, two Chairmen, two Deputy Chairmen, 10 Chief Whips and Whips besides nearly 40 ministers.
Normally before commencement of a session the respective Speaker and Council Chairman meet top police officials to know about the security arrangements and give instructions. This time, both the states’ Speakers and Chairmen need to meet police officials jointly and then take decisions in view of the simultaneous running of sessions.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner M. Mahender Reddy said, “Generally we will act on the instructions of Presiding Officers. We will not take any independent decisions on security plans. I hope this time we will have a joint meeting with Presiding Officers. It may not be a problem if TS and AP use one gate each for entry and exit. Anyway we will discuss the issue with all concerned.” However parking of so many vehicles, their movements especially the convoys of VVIPs is going to pose a major problem, said a source.