Deputy Speaker Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Friday claimed that the debate on the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Bill 2013 has already begun in the state Legislative Assembly.
Disclosing details during a press conference in the Assembly's Committee Hall, the Deputy Speaker said that at about 2:57pm on December 16, Legislative Affairs minister D Sridhar Babu began discussions while thanking President of India Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and other Central leaders for sending the Telangana Bill to the Assembly.
He then appealed to the members to participate in the discussion. He said that he himself was on the Chair, and that he had directed leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu to continue the discussion. However, the debate could not continue due to the uproar created by some legislators, he said.
Vikramarka dismissed Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy's claim made on Thursday that the debate on the Telangana Bill was yet to begin. He informed the press that the Assembly session, scheduled to resume from January 3, would last for 13 days, and that 5 hours each day have been allocated for the debate on the Telangana Bill.
Therefore, he said that the Telangana Bill would be debated for 65 hours or more. He appealed to all members to participate in the debate.
The Deputy Speaker also condemned YSRCP members for bringing cauliflowers into the House, describing the act as an insult to the House. He criticized the floor leaders for going back on their assurances at the Business Advisory Committee meetings on December 11 and 17 that they would cooperate in the debate. (INN)