PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry Independent MLA Gollapalli Srinivas Ashok, from the outlying region of Yanam, on Thursday raised an objection to PWD Minister K Lakshminarayanan’s remark that the special representative of the Puducherry government in New Delhi, Malladi Krishna Rao, holds a higher status and was in the rank of a deputy speaker or minister as per government protocol. Rao is a former minister and ex-MLA from the Yanam constituency.
The issue cropped up when replying to a question from Ashok, Lakshminarayanan said the office of the Yanam MLA, which Rao still occupies, cannot be allotted to Ashok as the special representative holds a higher status as per protocol. The minister said the MLA may identify another place, which would be then allotted to him as his office.
The BJP MLAs, however, supported Ashok's insistence on getting the MLA office. Later, Ashok said there was no such protocol which places the ex-MLA holding the post of a special representative above MLAs and MPs. The status of a deputy speaker or minister is honourary given out of courtesy for availing certain allowances, he claimed, and added that if the special representative had the status of a deputy speaker or minister, he would be seated inside the Assembly.
If the status given to the representative is above an elected MLA, it will affect all MLAs and MPs, Ashok added. Further, he urged the government to honour his status as an elected representative by taking into consideration the issues he takes up on behalf of the people, and update him on works with regard to Yanam. Ashok further said the people of Yanam primarily require good education and health facilities and urged the government to consider his requests in this regard. While Ashok, who had beaten Chief Minister N Rangasamy to be elected from Yanam, supports the BJP, Rao is an AINRC supporter.