Assembly stalled for third day

The proceedings of the state legislative Assembly were stalled for the third consecutive  day on Thursday by opposition members who stayed put near the speaker’s podium demanding a resolution on Telangana and reduction in the diesel price.

The Assembly was adjourned thrice in the day and finally for the day at 12.30 pm.

However, deputy chief minister Damodar Rajanarasimha and legislative affairs minister D Sridhar Babu managed to introduce three government bills and speaker Nadendla Manohar was able to make a couple of announcements amidst the disorder.

When the House assembled at 9 am, members of TDP, TRS, YSRCP and CPI trooped into the well and shouted slogans. While TRS members demanded a resolution on Telangana be introduced, TDP, YSRCP and CPI demanded rollback of the diesel price hike and an increase in the number of subsidised gas refills to be distributed. As there was pandemonium in the House, the speaker adjourned the House at 9.05 am.

When the House met again at 10 am there was no improvement in the situation, forcing the speaker to adjourn the House till 11 am. When the House reassembled, the opposition members occupied the podium forcing the speaker to adjourn the House for another hour. When the House reassembled at noon, deputy speaker Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, legislative affairs minister D.Sridhar Babu, chief whip Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy and others made fervent appeals to the opposition members to see that the House transact some business and take up a short-duration discussion on the power situation. But the opposition parties did not yield and the deputy Speaker adjourned the House for the day.

However, the government introduced three bills _ The Andhra Pradesh Education (Amendment) Bill, 2012, The Jawaharlal Nehru Technological Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2012 and The Andhra Pradesh Municipal Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2012.

PROTESTS OUTSIDE: After the House was adjourned for the day, TDP and Left party MLAs staged a rasta roko in front of the Secretariat blocking  traffic on the busy road. They demanded immediate rollback of the diesel price hike and increase in the quota of domestic gas refills. Police arrested them.

Meanwhile, TRS MLAs staged a dharna before the chief minister’s chamber in the Legislative Council Hall demanding seven-hour quality power for the agricultural sector.

BJP MLAs, who tried to close the gates of the Secretariat, were arrested by the police.