Debate on power crisis rocks Assembly on Day-2

Debate on power crisis continued on the second consecutive day on Tuesday amidst heated exchanges in the budget session of the assembly.

 The assembly approved the vote-on-account, which will come into force from April 1. The vote-on-account budget was necessitated paving the way for newly formed Standing committees to propose recommendations. Finance Minister Anam Ramnarayana Reddy on Monday proposed Rs 34,675 Crore expenditure in the assembly. 

Earlier, assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar disapproved the adjournment motions raised by opposition parties. YSR Congress moved adjournment motion on the problems of farming community, Left parties on power crisis, TRS and BJP on Telangana and Nagam Janardhan Reddy on VAT for textile traders. Soon after the session began, members of the opposition parties demanded debate on the adjournment motions. They assembled at the Speaker's podium raising slogans. Speaker tried in vain to pacify them saying that the House would debate on power problems after the question hour. The Speaker adjourned the House up to 10 am.

Even after the House met after the break, the members did not heed and continued to protest.  Speaker Manohar took up question hour amidst protests.  Demanding seven-hour uninterrupted power supply to the farmers, YSRCP members made unique demonstration to draw the attention of the government on the prevailing power problem. The MLAs entered the assembly holding torch lights. They urged the government to distribute at least the torch lights to the people who were facing power cuts more than 18 hours. YSRCP MLA Sobha Nagireddy said the government was not showing interest even to discuss and find a solution to the power problem. It was saddening to note that the main opposition TDP was silent on the burning issue, Sobha Nagireddy said and added that YSRCP would launch agitation if the government did not respond.

The YSRCP members demanded that there should be 7-hour uninterrupted power supply for farmers. The government should bear the fuel adjustment charges and suggested telescopic system. CPM leaders demanded that the budget session should be extended at least three more days (the first phase of budget session concluding today). They said the government would not be spared on the power problem issue.

LOK Satta MLA  Jayaprakash Narayan expressed serious concern over wasting of assembly time without going for debate on the main issues rocking the state. He underscored the need for constructive debate for solving the people's issues and called upon the parties to extend their cooperation.

YSRCP MLA Kapu Ramachandra Reddy announced that his party would tour Piler, the constituency of the Chief Minister and also the constituencies of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker to highlight the ground situation prevailed due to power cuts. The assembly passed a resolution thanking the Governor's speech before it was adjourned.

-Sakshipost