TDP, BJP stage walk-out from AP House

Hyderabad, Mar 7 (UNI) The main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the BJP today walked out from the Andhra Pradesh Assembly in protest against the state government's 'failure' to get sufficient funds from the Union Government to meet the losses due to natural calamities.

Unsatisfied with the reply of Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao to a question by G Kishan Reddy (BJP), D Umamaheswara Rao, P Keshav (TDP) and other TDP and BJP members walked out of the House, while the Communist parties and Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) registered their protest.

Mr Kishan Reddy said the Congress government had failed to get enough relief from the UPA government at the Centre though the state had sent 30 members to the Parliament.

The BJP leader pointed out that while the state government sought Rs 3,644 crore relief last year, the Centre had given a paltry Rs 200 crore.

Denying the allegation, Revenue Minister said the Centre had given more aid to Andhra Pradesh than any other state. The Union Government had included five more districts apart from the 13 districts where the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGP) was being implemented, he said.

Opposition TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu alleged that the Congress party had failed in getting central aid to meet the losses suffered by the state due to floods, drought and tsunami.

Stating that the state was getting more help than any other state for development and to meet the calamity losses, the Minister maintained that efforts were on to get more central aid to the state.

Not satisfied with the Minister's reply, the TDP and the BJP staged a walk-out while the other opposition members registered their protest.

Speaker K R Suresh Reddy, who held a meeting with the floor leaders of various parties earlier after a bedlam leading to the adjournment of the House for 15 minutes, announced after the House re-assembled that the Question Hour would end by 1000 hrs, so that discussion on budgetary demands could be taken up.

The House could take up only two questions.

UNI