Defying Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council Chairman once again, the Legislature Secretary on Friday returned the file for constituting a select committee to look into three capital bills. For the second time in a week, Legislature Secretary P. Balakrishnamacharyulu sent back the file to Council Chairman M.A. Shariff stating that the panel cannot be constituted as due procedures were not followed while referring the two bills to the committee. The Chairman had last month referred the AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of all Regions Bill 2020 and Repealing the APCRDA Act Bill, ignoring the strong protest from the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), which wanted him to put the bills to vote.
Shariff had earlier taken exception strong exception to in-charge Secretary of AP Legislature returning the file related to select committee to his office. He again sent the file to the Secretary directing to immediately constitute the committee and send him a compliance report. The opposition parties have also slammed the Legislature Secretary for sending back the file to the Chairman. Main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) termed it contempt of the House. The YSRCP argued that that the announcement made by the Chairman referring the bills to the Select Committee became invalid as they were not formed within 14 days. The YSRCP leaders also say that both the bills should be considered passed.
The TDP, however, contended that the 14 day period apply to money bills and not general bills. While the opposition parties already sent the names of their representatives for the select committee, the YSRCP, which has just nine members in 58-member Council, ruled out sending the names saying the select committee was announced without following due procedure. The Council Chairman had referred the bills using to select committee using his discretionary powers. Both the bills were passed by State Assembly at its special sitting on January 20. While one bill is aimed at scrapping the special body created to develop Amaravati as the state capital, the second bill provides for development of Visakhapatnam and Kurnool as the two capitals besides Amaravati.
The Bills, however, hit a roadblock in the Legislative Council, where the opposition is in majority. Taking serious note of what it called the efforts by the opposition to stall the crucial bills, the YSRCP government moved to abolish the Upper House. The Assembly on January 27 passed a resolution, recommending to the Centre to abolish the Council. Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, during his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, urged him to expedite the process. Jagan Mohan Reddy told the PM that this decision was taken as the Council had lost its utility and going against the bills passed by the Legislative Assembly. He urged Modi to direct the Union Law Ministry to take necessary action in this regard.
IANS
