TDP stalls House proceedings over construction cost

Hyderabad, Mar 18 (UNI) The main Opposition Telugu Desam Party(TDP) today stalled the proceedings in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly for sometime in protest against the steep increase in the price of steel, cement and other construction materials due to ''wrong'' policies of the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre and the Congress Government in the State.

The trouble started as soon as the House assembled for the day when Speaker K R Suresh Reddy disallowed the adjournment motion notices by the TDP and CPI on the issue.

Agitated TDP members were on their feet, demanding setting aside of the listed business and immediate taking up of the burning issue, which had hit hard various sections of people, including the poor and the middle class.

The Speaker asked the members to resume their seats and raise the issue during the debate on demands for grants for various departments or give a notice, if they wanted a short duration discussion in the issue.

Sharing the concern expressed by the TDP members, Legislative Affairs Minister K Rosaiah said the Government was ready for a detailed discussion on the issue at a time fixed by the Speaker.

Order was restored in the House after Mr Rosaiah informed that Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was taking up the matter with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and he would make a statement in due course.

Earlier, the Speaker also disallowed the adjournment motion notice by the CPI(M) on declaring the forest area in Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts as Elephant zone, by the BJP on weavers problems and by lone Janata Party member K Ramulu on delay in execution of a irrigation project in his constituency.

UNI SM VA AKJ AS1654