Budget Session Will Last For 10 Days, Opposition Demands Extension
Listing 19 issues for debate, Harish Rao warned that the BRS would boycott the next BAC meeting if the government failed to honour the decisions taken at the meeting.
Hyderabad: The Legislature’s Budget Session will last for 10 working days, until March 30, with the budget presentation scheduled for March 20. The schedule was decided at a Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting held in the Assembly after the Governor’s address.
Those who attended the meeting were Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Legislative Affairs Minister D. Sridhar Babu, BRS leader T. Harish Rao, BJP floor leader A. Maheshwar Reddy and CPI legislator Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao.
BRS Legislature Party deputy floor leader Harish Rao wanted the session until March 31, including on Sundays. The party protested the omission of Question Hour and urged the Speaker to allow private members' Bills to discuss the Six Guarantees.
Listing 19 issues for debate, Harish Rao warned that the BRS would boycott the next BAC meeting if the government failed to honour the decisions taken at the meeting.
The BRS sought discussion on farmers’ plight, urea and LPG shortages amid the West Asia war, Musi rejuvenation project's impact on the poor, corruption in Singareni tenders, delays in the job calendar, pending DA and dues for employees and retirees, education commission report effects, GHMC trifurcation, law and order, Bhu Bharati, student fee reimbursement, HYDRA demolitions, and RTC and auto drivers' issues, among others.
Speaking to media persons later, Maheshwar Reddy demanded that the government extend the session to at least 30 days — adding 20 more in April — to discuss key public issues and grievances. Accusing the Revanth Reddy government of irresponsibility, he criticised it for limiting the session mainly to passing the Appropriation Bill, with just seven days for Budget discussions after the first two days (March 17 and 18) focused on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address, giving no time to discuss the grievances of people.
He asked for debates on fee reimbursement, non-disbursal of Rythu Bharosa, pending dues for employees and retired employees, failure to implement the Six Guarantees and '420 assurances', and non-payment of ₹12,000 monthly to agricultural labourers and autorickshaw drivers, trifurcation of GHMC, demolition of houses by HYDRA and under the Musi rejuvenation project.
CPI legislator Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao demanded a minimum 20-day session to address delays in house sites for the poor, pattas for landless poor with huts on government land, RTC employees' issues and union elections, Singareni coal allocation, retirees' dues, regularisation of contract and outsourcing staff, student fee reimbursement, 42 per cent BC reservation, and HYDRA demolitions of poor people's homes, among others.