AP Assembly session to conclude on Sept 6

HYDERABAD: A day after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his Telangana counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao had decided to bury the hatchet, AP government considered the request of KCR to complete the ongoing budget session of the State Assembly by September 6 in order to avoid any clash with the proposed budget session of the TS Assembly, scheduled to begin on September 10.

According to sources, the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the AP Assembly, which met under the leadership of Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao here, dropped the earlier proposal of holding the session till September 12. Instead, they decided to end the session on September 6 as the budget session of Telangana Assembly would be beginning on September 10.

The meeting of the BAC also decided to hold the current session for 16 working days, which include Saturdays also.

Meanwhile, YSRC chief and Leader of the Opposition YS Jaganmohan Reddy, who along with his party MLA Jyothula Nehru, had attended the BAC meeting, reportedly opposed the Speaker's decision to end the session on September 6 instead of 12.

Jagan is understood to have told the Speaker that as there are a lot of important issues that are to be discussed in the House, reducing the number of days of the session would do injustice to people.

As the Speaker turned down this request, Jagan urged him to at least increase the working hours of the House. He also requested the Speaker to conduct House during evenings. However, the Speaker is learnt to have rejected this request.

According to sources, during the BAC meeting, Jagan submitted a list of issues which include crop loan waiver and political murders to the Speaker requesting him to include them in the business agenda of the Assembly so as to be taken up on the floor of the House.

The Speaker, however, advised him to include them in a different form and if that form is acceptable, then the matter would be allowed for discussion.

Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who was also present in the meeting, endorsed Speaker's decision over this issue. Naidu is learnt to have said the issues raised by Jagan could not be discussed in the present form.

During the meeting, it was decided that Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu would present the State Budget on August 20.

As already decided, the State government would present a separate Agriculture Budget on the lines of Karnataka in the present session of the House. State Agriculture Minister P Pulla Rao will introduce the Agriculture Budget on August 22.

The State government decided to introduce AP Police Reforms ordinance-2014, AP Agriculture Produce and Livestock Market Committee Amendment Bill and AP Charitable and Hindu Religion Institution Ordinance in the present session.

Apart from Deputy Chief Minister KE Krishna Murthy and Finance Minister Ramakrishnudu, State government chief whip Kalva Srinivasulu also took part in the BAC meeting.

Calendar for the budget session

Aug 20: Introduction of State Budget

Aug 22: Presentation of Agriculture Budget

Aug 23: Discussion on the State Budget

Aug 24: Holiday

Aug 25: Budget discussion Continues

Aug 26: Finance Minister's reply on Budget

Aug 27: Voting on demands

Aug 28: Voting on demands

Aug 29: Holiday

Aug 30 to Sept 5: Discussion on demands

Sept 6: Appropriation Bill