Cong. pursued hidden agenda: TDLP

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, APRIL 1. The Telugu Desam Legislature Party (TDLP) has alleged that the Congress(I) adopted a "narrow" approach and pursued a "hidden agenda" in the just concluded Budget session of the Assembly.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, the TDLP deputy leader, Mr. J.R. Pushparaj, and the Chief Whip, Mr. K. Venkat Rao, said the Congress(I) fought for the cause of a liquor company in the House during the debate over liquor purchase by the A.P. Breweries Corporation Limited.

Other Government whips, Mr. E. Dayakar Rao, Mr. P. Raghunath Reddy and Mr. Yousuf Ali, also participated in the press conference.

Similarly, another instance of its hidden agenda was the attempt to "blackmail" the Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, and the TDP MP, Mr. M.V.V.S. Murthy, in the Konaseema-Oakwell power project case.

The TDP leaders said the Congress also monopolised the time of the House, which met for a total of 212.18 hours in 30 days. About 19.20 hours was lost in deviations, of which the Congress consumed 13 hours, raising unrelated and non-legislative issues. Of the budgetary demands, only seven were fully discussed and six partly. The remaining 43 demands were voted without any discussion. The Opposition parties were responsible for this.

They regretted that not a single strategic paper of the Government came up for discussion. The Congress sought to attack institutions like the police in a bid to demoralise them.

Mr. Venkat Rao said the Chief Minister and the Ministers consumed 65.35 hours, the TDLP members 30.04 hours but the CLP accounted for a lion's share of 68.39 hours (besides another 3.55 hours lost in disturbances). The BJP took 19.52 hours, MIM 8.26 hours, the CPI(M) 13.56 hours and the independents 1.5 hours.

The Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, availed 8.41 hours of the House while the leader of Opposition, Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, accounted for 10 hours. The BJP floor leader, Mr. N. Indrasena Reddy took 5.44 hours, the MIM floor leader, Mr. Asaduddin Owaisi, 4.53 hours, while the CPI(M) floor leader, Mr. N. Narasimhaiah, accounted for 8.09 hours.

The TDP leaders said the Congress was not interested in discussing important issues like Neeru-Meeru, literacy programme and child labour. If the Opposition parties played a constructive role, the discussion on many issues of public importance could have been fruitful. Yet, the House could devote substantial time to the public problems. The organised and factional crime and the twin cities drinking water problem have come up for detailed discussion. Overall, the performance of the Ministers and TDP members was satisfactory and the whips coordinated well, they said.

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Section  : Southern States
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