Speaker adjourns House

Hyderabad, Dec 21 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker K R Suresh Reddy today abruptly adjourned the House as the Opposition parties demanded discussion on the setting up of an IIT institute in Medak district.

Immediately after the discussion on floods, the Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu raised the issue of IIT institute as it was mentioned during the reply on floods by Revenue Minister D Prasada Rao.

The speaker urged the TDP leader not to raise the IIT issue and register the party's protest on the government's reply on floods.

But the TDP MLAs wanted discussion on IIT and trooped to the well of the House.

Mr Reddy asked Agriculture Minister N Raghuveera Reddy to initiate discussion on 'essential commodities.' When the Opposition party legislators obstructed the minister's speech, the speaker adjourned the House.

Earlier, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, replying to the TDP leader's statement on IIT, said the government had to find a location in Medak district which had road, rail and air connectivity as per the Centre's guidelines.

Alleging that the Opposition parties were politicising the IIT issue, Dr Reddy, accusing the previous TDP government of failing to get permission for the establishment of the IIT, said air connectivity was necessary for the exchange of international faculty members.

Stating that Basara was not the right place to set up IIT as it required huge basic infrastructure facilities, he said a 21st century Gurukulam would be set up in Basara at the cost of Rs 5 crore by the end of the next year.

UNI AP KD VV1604