Monsoon session of AP Assembly begins tomorrow

Hyderabad, Aug 16: The ruling Congress has braced itself to face a stormy Monsoon session of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly beginning tomorrow, with the Opposition, including its poll allies, ready to attack the State Government's soft handling of the recent floods and Chikungunya epidemic in the state among other issues.

Ahead of the short 10-day session, which would see introduction of ten bills, including the one on value-added tax(VAT) and creation of Vedic University in Tirupati, the Rajasekhara Reddy Government, midway through its term withdrew the controversial Government Order (GO) No five on third phase of reforms in 30 public sector enterprises and cooperatives, counter the opposition disinformation' that it was meant to retrench workers in state-owned Road Transport Corporation and Singereni Colleries Limited.

'Reformed' TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu, who had vigorously pursued the first two phases of reforms in PSEs and Cooperatives, joined the Opposition bandwagon in demanding withdrawal of the GO.

AICC General Secretary and incharge of AP affairs Digvijay Singh, who would attend the Congress Legislature Party meeting on August 17, was expected to mollify 'outspoken' city Congress legislators P Janardhan Reddy and M Sasidhar Reddy, who were embarassing the Government time and again, by raising various issues in public instead of party fora.

Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy directed his cabinet colleagues to come fully prepared to counter the opposition on whatever issues raised by them.

He directed the Chief Secretary to cancel the leave of all staff associated with the Assembly work.

Dissatisfied with the way the state government had taken up relief and rehabilitation in the flood-hit areas, Mr Naidu still on tour of the flood-ravaged areas, told mediapersons that his party would raise it in a big way in the Assembly.

The CPI(M) would press for a debate on the state government's understanding with the World Bank for securing loans to the tune of Rs 6,200 crore, its State Secretary and Polit Bureau member B V Raghavulu said.

The CPI would raise, among other issues, provision of a fair compensation to those displaced by the acquisition of land for the eight-lane super highway on the city outskirts and other projects, Party Legislature Party leader Ch Venkata Reddy said.

UNI