Govt gears up for Budget session

Hyderabad, Feb 6 (UNI) Keeping in view the sanctity of Assembly proceedings, top priority should be given for timely furnishing of information on all matters, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy said today.

Addressing Ministers, Senior Secretaries of the Government and Heads of Departments on the need for preparedness in connection with the Budget session scheduled to be held from February 12 to March 31, he urged all of them to ''be on your toes from now onwards till the completion of the budget session and be prepared to answer all the questions, issues and omissions, if any on the part of the Government that might be raised by the Opposition.'' He said the Principal Secretaries and Secretaries to Government and other senior officers should brief their Ministers thoroughly about the listed questions and other matters, which are coming up regularly in the House.

The Chief Minister wanted the officials not to wait till the last minute in sending replies to various queries put forth by the Opposition members and directed to send them in advance along with authentic translated versions both in Telugu and Urdu.

Dr Reddy directed them to take additional temporary staff for translation works during the session. The officials should arrange to send replies to all questions raised during Zero Hour promptly to the respective members.

The Chief Minister also asked the Ministers to entrust the matter pertaining to Assembly session to one particular peshi staff member.

He also wanted to be guarded about the news appearing in the media.

If any important news concerning any department comes to their notice, he wanted the officials to brief the Ministers on these reports appearing in the media.

Winding up the discussion, the Minister for Legislative Affairs and Finance, K Rosaiah announced lifting of the restrictions on the use of power in the Secretariat premises from tomorrow to enable the officers and staff to work late hours for the budget session as well as to cope up with the ensuing summer.

Ministers K Rosaiah, G Vinod, D Srinivas, Mohd Ali Shabbeer, Gollapalli Surya Rao, Ponnala Lakshmaiah, J Geetha Reddy, P Sabita Indra Reddy, N Rajyalakshmi, K Lakshminarayana; Senior secretaries and several HODs were present.

UNI