Sparks to fly as Telangana’s budget session begins on Thursday
The budget session is slated to commence at 11.30 am with Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan’s joint address to members of both the Assembly and Council
Hyderabad: With the political atmosphere in the State on the boil, the budget session beginning on Thursday is likely to witness sparks as the ruling Congress and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi in the Opposition prepare to lock horns over multiple issues, but primarily the handing over of Krishna Basin irrigation projects and the delay in implementation of election promises.
The budget session is slated to commence at 11.30 am with Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan’s joint address to members of both the Assembly and Council. This will be followed with passage of a motion of thanks to the Governor’s address on Friday. Finance Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu will present in all probability a vote-on-account budget on Saturday. This will be followed with general discussion on the budget.
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The schedule of the legislature will be finalised after the Business Advisory Committee meeting, which is expected to be held after the Governor’s address on Thursday. With this to be the first budget presented by the Congress government after coming to power, and the already intense exchange of political fire between the Congress and the BRS, there is every possibility of heated arguments between the treasury and opposition benches.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had already announced that a white paper would be presented on the irrigation sector during the session. He had even challenged BRS president and Leader of Opposition K Chandrashekhar Rao for a discussion on the handing over of irrigation projects to the Krishna River Management Board.
Considering the government’s announcement that it would be implementing the six guarantees without fail, provisional budgetary allocations would be a key factor. With speculation rife over the launch of two more schemes, including the Rs 500 LPG cylinder and 200 units of free power to households, the guidelines to select beneficiaries will be under the scanner.
Legislative Affairs Minister D Sridhar Babu held a meeting with Speaker Gaddam Prasad, Legislative Council Chairman Gutha Sukender Reddy and others on Wednesday. During the meeting, Sukender Reddy wanted all measures to be taken for the smooth conduct of the session. Replies to the questions posed by members should be delivered within time and nodal officers should be appointed to this effect, he said.
As per the Chief Minister’s instructions, a decision has been taken to shift the Council to the old Assembly building. The shifting of Council should be expedited, he told the Minister. Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar said elaborate arrangements should be made to ensure there were no shortcomings.
Sridhar Babu said instructions were issued to Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumari to deploy a senior IAS officer to deliver replies to the questions raised by members and to ensure coordination between different departments. Instructions have already been issued to Assembly officials to expedite the shifting of council to the old Assembly building. A two-day orientation programme would be conducted for the new Members after the session, he added.
