HYDERABAD: A whopping Rs 1.45 lakh crore budget for the year 2012-13 was passed without any discussion on the final day of the budget session as the Appropriation Bill moved by finance minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy was adopted with voice vote amidst din created by Telangana MLAs on Thursday.
The Andhra Pradesh Budget for 2012-13 was up by 14 per cent at Rs 1,45,854 crore.
The Appropriation Bill is a legislative motion, which authorises the government to spend money on the budget proposals. But, there was no discussion in the House on any demand even on the Appropriation Bill on Thursday.
When the Appropriation Bill was adopted, chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu were conspicuous by their absence.
The Assembly was adjourned sine die immediately after the Appropriation Bill was passed along with three other Bills for amending the Value-Added Tax Act even as TDP and TRS legislators from the Telangana region stormed the Speaker’s podium, holding placards and raising slogans demanding creation of a separate state.
Ruling Congress legislators from Telangana and a couple of Independent members too joined the chorus, pushing the Assembly into pandemonium. When the House sat for question hour, the TRS, TDP, BJP and Congress members stalled the proceedings demanding a resolution on Telangana state in the Assembly.
The Speaker adjourned the House after administering oath of office to the newly-elected member Nallapureddy Prasannakumar Reddy of the YSR Congress party. No end appeared in sight to the logjam as the House could not resume even four hours after it was adjourned for 15 minutes.
The TDP and TRS members continued with the same form of protest by storming the Speaker’s podium even as the Speaker disallowed the adjournment motions moved by opposition parties on the Telangana issue.
The Speaker held talks with floor leaders of all parties but could not break the impasse.
When the House finally reassembled around 12.50 pm, deputy speaker Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who was in the Chair,rushed through the motions in less than 10 minutes and adjourned the Assembly sine die.
Ironically, there was no discussion on any demand in the 29-day session. Though, the debate on welfare demand was initiated, it was not completed and the minister concerned did not reply to it. Another short discussion on power was also initiated but that was also inconclusive.