When the government proposed to conduct the session for three days, the Opposition wanted it to be held for a reasonable period of time.
Published Aug 03, 2023 | 7:49 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 03, 2023 | 7:49 PM
KCR being welcomed before the beginning of the Assembly session. (Twitter)
Though not much business could be transacted on the first day of the last session of the second Assembly of Telangana, which began on Thursday, 3 August, there was no dearth of camaraderie between the ruling BRS and the Opposition parties.
For instance, IT Minister KT Rama Rao, took everyone by surprise, by stopping at the seat of BJP Election Management Committee chairman Eatala Rajender. After entering the House, he went straight to the BJP leader, and greeted him.
Seeing him approach, Rajender, too, smiled at him and then both of them hugged as if they were friends for ages. They spoke for about 10 minutes. Though the content of their conversion is not known, it appeared more like exchanging pleasantries.
Outside the House also, KTR sprang a surprise with his friendly banter with Congress legislator T Jayaprakash Reddy, popularly known as Jagga Reddy, who came to the Assembly wearing a T-shirt. Poking fun at him, the IT minister asked whether the Congress member was moving with youth, pointing at his T-shirt.
Jayaprakash Reddy, joined KTR in the banter, wondering whether wearing a T-shirt would make him a youngster.
Then KTR, seeing him with Mamilla Rajender, Telangana Non-Gazetted Officers Association (TNGO) state president, asked Reddy when he had begun a “dostana” with him. It was the latter who replied, saying that they were very close and that they ate out from the same plate and slept in the same bed.
KTR then asked Mamilla Rajender whether he would help Jayapraksh Reddy win the election, in an indirect jibe at him for aligning with Congress leaders, to which the TNGO president said: “I will help him win and then bring him to you as a prize.”
In the Legislative Council, whose session also began simultaneously, Roads and Buildings Minister V Prashanth Reddy accused the Opposition parties of trying to derive political benefit from human misery caused by the torrential rains that battered the state for nearly 10 days recently.
He said though everyone knows that one cannot prevent natural calamities, yet the Opposition tried to politicise the tragedy for its benefit, adding that people’s representatives stood solidly behind KCR in taking relief to the victims.
Reddy said that the chief minister personally supervised flood relief operations, playing a key role in minimising loss to human lives and property.
He said as many as 27,000 families had been shifted to relief centres from 139 villages by 1,500 Fire Department personnel who swung into action, adding that 756 tanks were breached, R and B roads were damaged in 786 areas, and power supply was affected in 773 villages.
The minister said that for temporary restoration of roads, the government would require a sum of ₹253.77 crore and for permanent repairs, ₹1,777.47 crore. Temporary restoration works would be completed by 8 August, he said.
Finance Minister T Harish Rao, speaking to the media in the Assembly lobby, said that the Opposition parties’ minds had gone blank after Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao started raining sops on the needy sections of society.
The Opposition parties were caught unaware as the chief minister pounded them repeatedly with his schemes, he said, and observed that they were now running short of excuses to attack the BRS. He said the BRS would not only bash the Opposition in the House, but outside as well.
The Business Advisory Committee (BAC), which met after the Assembly was adjourned for the day, decided that the house should run for three days.
The meeting also decided to discuss the recent rains and floods that had ravaged Telangana state.
The BAC was presided over by Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, and Deputy Speaker T Padamrao Goud, Ministers T Harish Rao, V Prashanth Reddy, S Niranjan Reddy, G Kamalakar, Government Chief Whip D Vinay Bhaskar, and leaders of the AIMIM and the Congress, Akbaruddin Owaisi and Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, took part in the meeting.
When the government proposed to conduct the session for three days, the Opposition parties wanted it to be held for a reasonable period of time.
But Harish Rao pointed out that what was important was how many hours the House was in session, rather than the actual number of days.
It is learnt that the government was planning to introduce 10 Bills in the Assembly. They include four Bills which the Governor had returned for clarifications and the Bill relating to taking the TSRTC employees on government rolls.
Earlier, as soon as the Assembly met, Chief Minister KCR moved a resolution paying tribute to Secunderabad Cantonment BRS MLA G Sayanna, who passed away in February this year.
Later, members from all parties spoke, extolling Sayanna’s virtues, while supporting the resolution.
