Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar on Monday expressed displeasure over the frequent by-elections in the State.
Addressing a press conference on the completion of one year in office as the Speaker, Manohar said that compared to his predecessors he faced tremendous pressure due to frequent resignations by MLAs. He said by submitting resignations or getting disqualified, the MLAs were unable to meet the purpose for which they got elected. He said crores of rupees belonging to the State’s exchequer were lost due to 65 by-elections that were held in the State in the last six years.
Manohar said that resignations and disqualifications were not a good sign for the democracy. He said that the Law Commission has recommended that those who resign or get disqualified should not be allowed to contest the elections again. However, the recommendation was yet to get the approval from the Central Government. Once approved, the new law might discourage large scale resignations by the MLAs, he hoped.
The Speaker informed that Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has given his nod for an increase in the pension of former MLAs. Further, the allotment of residential plots for sitting MLAs too has been approved. The government will also provide office space to all the MLAs in their constituencies.
Manohar said that a workshop would be conducted for the MLAs on SC, ST sub-plan soon. He also informed that the official website of State Legislative Assembly will be launched on June 15.
–Agencies