TDP, CPI(M), BJP members stage walkout in AP Assembly

Hyderabad, Mar 26 (UNI) Members of the opposition TDP, the CPI(M) and the BJP today staged a walkout in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly while the CPI registered its protest over ''acute shortage of cooking gas'' in the state.

Dissatisfied with the reply of Civil Supplies Minister K Venkatakrishna Reddy to a question raised by L Lalitha Kumari (TDP) and other TDP members during the Question Hour, TDP Legislature Party Secretary E Dayakar Rao led his party colleagues out of the House.

He alleged that the government had failed to check black marketing of cooking gas and provide a subsidy of Rs 100 per cylinder to members of women self-help groups (SHGs) as promised prior to the election.

Expressing displeasure over the Congress Government's failure to ease cooking gas shortage and to take an all party delegation to New Delhi to seek the Centre's intervention on the issue, CPI(M) Floor Leader N Narasimaiah led his party members out of the House.

BJP Floor leader G Kishan Reddy also staged a walkout, protesting against denial of BPL ration cards to those having two cylinders and inadequate supply of kerosene as a temporary measure.

CPI Floor leader Ch Venkata Reddy registered his party's protest over the ''inordinate'' delay in supply of cooking gas by oil marketing companies.

Earlier, the Minister said the Government proposed to give 20 lakh cooking gas connections to members of SHGs on seniority basis.

Only notices had been sent to 12.63 lakh consumers after detection of multiple gas connections on the same address and no connection had been cancelled so far, the Minister added.

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