Tweet
Protests mark Day 1 of Andhra budget session
The 40-day Budget session of the Andhra Pradesh legislature began on a stormy note, with the Opposition Telugu Desam Party and Telangana Rashtra Samiti boycotting the customary address by Governor ESL Narasimhan on Monday.
Even as the Governor was reading out his address, TDP and TRS members tore a copy of the speech and threw the papers at Narasimhan before walking out. Security personnel had a difficult time protecting the Governor as TRS members also tried to rush towards the podium.
TRS members also staged a dharna in the lobbies protesting against absence of any mention of Telangana issue in the address. The slogans of “Jai Telangana” rented the lobbies.
TDP members disrupted the address of the Governor alleging that he had neglected farmers’ problems. After the noisy protests for 15 minutes, they too staged a walk-out.
In another interesting sidelight, the Congress MLAs loyal to YS Jaganmohan Reddy, attended the House adorning Khandvas (shoulder cloths) distinct in colour from the one put on by the Congress members to emphasise their different identity.
Promising to deliver a speedy and balanced economic development aimed at benefiting the needy, the Governor said that the overall economic growth of the State in the first four years of the current Plan was touching 8 per cent.
“In recent times, the economy of Andhra Pradesh has been showing definitive positive growth trends and is inching close towards the national trend. Relentless efforts of the Governments over the previous five-year Plans have started paying dividends slowly, yet surely,” Narasimhan said.
On the situation in agriculture sector, he said that while it was sluggish during the 10th Plan, it was showing definite improving and recorded a growth rate of more than seven per cent during the current Plan period. The per capita income in the State has gone up to Rs 60,484 against the national per capita of Rs 54,835, he said.
He expressed satisfaction over the prevailing law and order situation in the State, pointing out that the communal and political violence was under control.
However, the entire opposition expressed its disappointment with the Governor’s address. Leader of opposition N Chandrababu Naidu lashed out at the Government saying it had no mention of the massive liquor syndicate scam. “The Government has failed to take action even after liquor syndicate alleging that it paid Rs 10 lakh to the Excise Minister”, he said.
Naidu also strongly criticised the Government for its failure in coming to the help of the distressed farmers and conducting the local bodies’ elections in the State.
