BRS walks out of BAC meet protesting govt. plan to “run session for only two days”

HYDERABAD

The Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) walked out of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting held on Saturday after the brief sitting on the first day of the current session of the Assembly, “protesting” refusal of the treasury benches to conduct the session at least for 15 days to discuss all issues concerning people.

Speaking at the media point on the Assembly building premises after walking out of the meeting, BRS legislators T. Harish Rao, V. Prashanth Reddy and K. Prabhakar Reddy said the government had indicated that it would run the session only for two days ignoring key issues such as urea shortage, floods, crop damage/loss, viral fevers and deaths of students in residential schools.

Mr. Harish Rao stated that many flood-affected villages were still suffering without power supply and road connectivity. The BRS had insisted that the Assembly should first take up a discussion on the loss of lives and crops caused by the recent floods across the State and then severe shortage of urea. He alleged that both the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were playing a blame game while farmers were bearing the brunt.

Further, the BRS wanted a debate on the spread of viral fevers such as dengue and malaria due to poor sanitation in villages, on the death of about 100 students in residential schools, on the controversial Fourth City, employees’ issues and also on the Banakacherla issue. But, the government was planning to wind up the session just in two days by taking up issues serving its political interests. It appeared that the treasury benches were more interested in using the Kaleshwaram Commission report for political drama. “We told them that we are ready to talk about the Commission report too for four days, if needed, but suggested taking up the priority issues first.”

Mr. Harish Rao stated that the government was planning to finish the agenda such as debate on Kaleshwaram and the Bill on the Backward Classes reservation in two days and get the House adjourned. “When asked about Sunday’s schedule/agenda, the government replied that it would be announced after 9 pm”.