Telangana Assembly Budget session for 2015-16 fiscal which began on an unconstructive note on Mar 7 has so far been witnessed ruckus and uproarious scenes Thursday. There were many sessions that underwent pandemonium with regard to issues like fees reimbursement, farmers’ suicides, pensions, housing to poor, welfare, agriculture, irrigation and other flagship programs of the government. The house began with Governor ESL Narasimhan’s address to joint session of Assembly and Council which ultimately resulted in a bedlam followed by ruckus created by Telugu Desam members who stood on the benches and invited wrath from other parties for disrespecting the national anthem when it was sung. While the Congress opposed the government’s proposals to shift Secretariat and Chest Hospital, the BJP expressed similar opinion and MIM sought to retain the chest hospital in Hyderabad.
Barring Mar 8, the session continued for a few days and Finance Minister E Rajender presented a full time budget of Rs 1,15,689 cr for 2015-16 fiscal on Mar 11. To enable the members to go through the budget the house was off on Mar 12 and began on 13 while it was holiday on 15. In a similar way as per the schedule given, there was no session for two days on Mar 21 and 22.
Then during question hour for some days members of Congress and BJP staged a walk out protesting the treasury benches for failing to reply to their posers on various issues and demands. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had to come to the rescue of the treasury benches and Speaker S Madhusudhan Chary when the remaining members of the congress and BJP tried their best to fix the ruling party in a fix. Interestingly, the CM himself had intervened several times to withdraw remarks made by ministers for hurting other members. Several times, KCR readily accepted to Leader of Opposition K Jana Reddy’s suggestions on welfare, fees reimbursement and equally rebutted his objections to budgetary proposals. KCR claimed that 96,000 cr out of total Rs 1,15,689 cr funds come through various heads as per their plan of the budget and rest through central schemes besides a plan to sell government land, increase taxes to some extent and others. In the meanwhile the TD members complained to President Pranab Mukherjee, Governor ESL Narasimhan on the unlawful suspension for entire session. They also made a vain bid to get support from the LoP who could not convince the ruling party to revoke suspension. While BJP sought fees reimbursement, housing for poor, pensions to all, MIM focused on protecting the Wakf lands, funding to educational institutions and empowerment of Muslim youth through welfare schemes. Besides readily agreeing to AKbaruddin Owaisi’s demands of funds and institutions, the chief minister swiftly reprimanded the opposition parties for marring the session deliberately and warned of serious action on housing irregularities. KCR reiterated his commitment on welfare, agriculture, education, health, irrigation and ambitious schemes of water grid, mission kakatiya, greenery and others. (NSS)
