TDP, TRS again disrupt AP House proceedings; adjourned

The Andhra Pradesh Assembly was adjourned without transacting any real business for the second consecutive day today as the Telugu Desam and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti disrupted proceedings even as the Chief Minister accused the Opposition of having no issue for debate.

The TDP and the TRS members continued with their protest over the same issues by storming the Speaker's podium.

While the TDP demanded that the ministers involved in the liquor syndicates be removed from the Cabinet forthwith, the TRS insisted on a resolution seeking creation of Telangana state.

Repeated pleas by Speaker Nadendla Manohar to let the House transact business, as the issues raised by the Opposition could be taken up in a different form, fell on deaf ears.

This led to the first adjournment within six minutes after the House assembled at 9 AM this morning. The Speaker called floor leaders of all parties for a meeting to resolve the stalemate. The meeting of floor leaders, which was boycotted by the TDP, lasted three hours and then the House resumed.

Government Whip Dronamraju Srinivas moved a resolution for constituting a Joint Legislature Committee (JLC) to probe into the land allotments for various Special Economic Zones in the state, which was adopted by voice vote.

The government did not agree to the constitution of JLC during the Budget Session last year and very recently the Speaker constituted a House Committee of the Assembly to probe the land deals. 

The TDP protested the constitution of the Committee in which only two of its members found place. As it kicked up a row, the Speaker decided to cancel the House Committee even as Legislative Council Chairman A Chakrapani suggested that members of the Council too be included in the probe panel.

Accordingly, the government decided to constitute a JLC while its terms of reference would be fixed later. Meanwhile, the TDP and the TRS MLAs continued with their protest at the Speaker's podium.

Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy intervened and appealed to the members  to let the House transact business.
"We are ready for discussing any issue in the House. But, by stalling the House, the opposition is proving that it is devoid of issues," the Chief Minister remarked.
"Your behaviour indicates that you are totally happy with all the decisions we are taking as the Executive and you are endorsing them. You don't have any suggestions to make (to the government)," Kiran added and appealed to the Opposition not to waste "precious time of the House."

But the TDP and TRS MLAs remained unrelenting, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for the day.