-Debate on flood changes into poll campaign
-Cong stages walkout protesting CM’s absence
K Venkateshwarlu
n hyderabad
Virtually turning the House into a spot for poll campaign, members exchanged words during the debate on floods in the Assembly on Friday. The ruling BRS said that it will retain power but the Congress declared that it will come to power. The Congress said that the BRS will be in power for only three more months and after that it will come to power.
Participating in the discussion on floods in Telangana in the Assembly, the Congress Legislature Party’s Deputy Leader, D. Sridhar Babu, spoke on the issue. He said that the government did not respond properly during the floods and that the floods were caused by the unscientific construction of check-dams.
But Ministers KT Ramarao, T. Harish Rao and V. Prashanth Reddy disturbed his speech. Intervening during D. Sridhar Babu’s speech, Prashanth Reddy, KT Ramarao and Harish asked him to reveal the stand of the Congress on TPCC President Revanth Reddy’s 3-hour power supply statement.
KTR asked Sridhar to apologise regarding the issue and continue his speech. Harish said that Congress leaders have said that they will scrap Dharani and the free power supply scheme.
Harish said that people were watching the attitude of the Congress and that people will vote for the BRS again. KTR and Prashanth Reddy repeated Harish’s comments.
Intervening, CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said that the Congress is ready for a debate on free power and added that it was the Congress which introduced the free power supply scheme.
He criticised the BRS Ministers for raising the free-power issue again and again and asked the Speaker to reveal whether the discussion is on free power or floods.
At one point, Sridhar demanded that the government should appoint a House Committee to study whether the check dams have been constructed scientifically or not. He said that the BRS government should act properly as it will be in power for only three more months and that the Congress will come to power after that.
Objecting to this, Harish Rao, Prashanth Reddy and KTR said that they will retain power.
The Congress later staged a walkout protesting against the absence of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao when the House discussed an important public issue like the floods.
