Andhra Pradesh Assembly will meet for five days in December for winter session. Even though the Opposition YSR Congress has been demanding a 15-day session in order to discuss meaningfully all the issues confronting the people of the state, speaker Kodela Sivaprasadarao is of the opinion that if properly used the 5-day session is more than enough to discuss all the issues, provided there is harmony between the treasury benches and the opposition.
Interestingly, though the government is functioning from makeshift arrangements from Vijayawada, nothing has been made to take the Assembly to the temporary capital. Earlier a couple of attempts had been made to conduct the Assembly from the capital region, they did not take off because of lack of sufficient space. Government, it is learnt, is not ready to spend any amount on temporary Assembly. There was even an attempt to conduct a session symbolically in Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, where the first session of Andhra state Assembly was held in 1954 and Prakasam Panthulu was chief minister. Nothing came off from the mere desire. Now, some members hope that Budget session will be held in Vizag.
Speaker Kodela said the session would commence from December 17. Commenting on YSRCP’s demand for 15 day-session, he said, if the ruling party and the opposition party come to an understanding to discuss the issues, the five day-session was enough to discuss all the issues. There was no need for a longer-session, he felt. ” Both sides should come together and allow the discussion to conclude. They should not obstruct the house with blame-game and indulging in personal accusations. Both sides claim that they would allow the house function and take up people’s issues, but when the house sits for the day’s proceedings, chaos would be let loose forcing the chair to adjourn the House,’ the speaker lamented.
Both sides, the speaker said, should shun their personal and party’s agendas and allow the chair to conduct the proceedings as per the rule. But unfortunately primacy was being given to personal agendas, he added. “One should not forget the we would be failing in our responsibility towards people if we don’t allow the house function in orderly manner. It would defeat the very noble objective of the parliamentary democracy,” Kodela said.
