VIJAYAWADA: The deadlock over formation of select committees to review two Bills — Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill 2020 and Repealing the APCRDA Act Bill — continues with the ruling YSRC shooting off letters to the Council Chairman and Secretary of the Legislature arguing that due procedures were not followed by Council Chairman MA Sharif while referring the bills to the committees.
The opposition parties, including TDP, BJP and PDF, submitted the names of the MLCs to represent them in the select committees on Monday following a letter from the Council Chairman, but uncertainty continues as the YSRC is firm on its stand that no voting had taken place in the House before referring the Bills to select committees.
Speaking to TNIE, Deputy Chief Minister (Revenue) and Leader of the Council Pilli Subash Chandra Bose said though the Chairman has discretionary powers, he can’t use them without following the conventions of the House.
“The Chairman referred the two Bills to the select committees citing discretionary powers without taking the House into confidence and without going for division of votes. Under such circumstances, we raised our objections and wrote to the Chairman as well as the Secretary of the AP Legislature,” he maintained.
Meanwhile, responding to the letter from the Council Chairman, opposition parties sent their list of MLCs. The TDP nominated Nara Lokesh, P Ashok Babu, Thippe Swamy, BT Naidu and G Sandhyarani to represent it in the select committee on the Decentralisation Bill.
The TDP also nominated MLCs Deepak Reddy, B Arjunudu, Buddha Venkanna, Beeda Ravichandra and Gounivari Srinivasulu to represent the party in the select committee on the Bill to Repeal APCRDA Act.
PN Madhav (BJP) and KS Lakshmana Rao (PDF) were nominated to the select committee on the Decentralisation Bill and Somu Veerraju (BJP) and I Venkateswara Rao (PDF) to the select committee on Bill to Repeal the APCRDA Act.
Meanwhile, sources said that the Council Chairman has directed the Secretary to open a file on the select committees so as to proceed further. Though the Chairman is learnt to have expected to get the Bills within two to three days, sources said it is unlikely.
The Assembly passed both the Bills. However, the Legislative Council, where the Opposition TDP has the upper hand, sent the Bills to select committees. The Decentralisation Bill proposes to have legislative capital in Amaravati, executive capital in Visakhapatnam and judicial capital in Kurnool.