Land Allotment: JLC Demand Conceded

The government has finally come down a step to placate the entire opposition in the Assembly. The demand for the appointment of a Joint Legislature Committee (JLC) to probe into the alleged illegitimate land allotments, which had stalled the proceedings in the House for several days, has been at last acceded to by the government.

Major Industries Minister J Geetha Reddy informed the House that the government was ready to order a JLC enquiry into the land allocations (since the regime of YSR), as demanded by the opposition members. "But the appointment of a Joint Legislature Committee will be preceded by a discussion," she said.

Following Geetha Reddy's announcement, the in-charge Speaker said that the said discussion would start on the next working day.

Prior to the Minister's announcement on Friday, the listed business transactions had come to a standstill in the state Assembly as the main opposition, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), resorted to slogan-shouting to press for a Joint Legislature Committee enquiry into the contentious land allocations in the city to former Congress MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy's business partners.

In addition to the TDP's demand, the other opposition members also pressed Deputy Speaker Nadendla Manohar to allow their adjournment resolutions, and created an uproar in the House when their demands were rejected. The acting Speaker could not control the situation, and adjourned the House for a short period.

After the House resumed its sitting, the opposition legislators insisted on their respective demands again. The Deputy Speaker implored them not to block the regular proceedings, and requested them to cooperate with the Chair.

But the unyielding opposition legislators rushed to the podium and raised slogans. Minister For Legislative Affairs Duddilla Sridhar Babu later met Government Whip Bhatti Vikramarka and discussed methods to control the opposition to ensure business in the House.

Later, Bhatti met the agitating members and urged them to cooperate with the Chair for the smooth conduct of the House.

TDP's Gali Muddukrishnama Naidu set certain terms for having a discussion on the Joint Legislature Committee probe.

He asserted that their party has "proof" against the irregularities committed in the said controversial land allocations, and also made it clear that they will cooperate with the government for holding a debate on the cited subject, only if a JLC inquiry into the matter is assured.

The TDP member asked the treasury benches to appoint a Joint Legislature Committee for probing the said land deals without any delay.

CPM member J Ranga Rao also raised the issue and agreed for a debate on the land deals as proposed by the treasury benches, but he also sought the setting up of a JLC soon after the debate.

As the session began, a set of adjournment resolutions were demanded. The CPM demanded a resolution on the Group 1 and 2 examinations, and the CPI demanded that the Srikrishna Committee Report's 8th chapter be made public.

To further promote the cause of the bifurcation of the state and lend support to the TRS, TDP MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy from Banswada, Nizamabad district, resigned from the party. He handed over his resignation letter to the Speaker on Friday.

At a time when the TRS seems to be losing its sheen, the TDP MLA's resignation over the Telangana issue, and his joining the TRS, has assumed importance in the political circles.

Courtesy: INN