Telangana issue likely to dominate Andhra budget session

Hyderabad, Feb 16 (PTI) The Telangana issue is likelyto dominate proceedings of the budget session of AndhraPradesh Legislature which begins tomorrow.

Other issues likely to come up during the session,which is expected to run till March 31, are non-reimbursementof tuition fee for students pursuing professional courses,farmers'' problems, the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal awardand corruption in government projects.

Governor E S L Narasimhan will deliver the customaryaddress to the joint session of Assembly and Council at 11 am.

While Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) has threatened todisrupt the governor''s address on the statehood issue,CPI said it would raise a protest over non-reimbursement oftuition fee. The Telangana protagonists within the mainOpposition TDP have also threatened to disrupt the Governor''saddress on the statehood issue.

The "non-cooperation movement", to be launchedtomorrow by Telangana employees and officers with the supportof political parties to press for statehood demand, is alsolikely to affect the functioning of the Legislature.

Civil Supplies Minister D Sridhar Babu appealed to theemployees not to paralyse the Legislature with their stir. Theprotesters, however, have refused to pay heed.

The ruling Congress is yet to find a candidate for theAssembly Speaker''s post close to three months after N KiranKumar Reddy was elevated as chief minister in November.

The winter session of Assembly, which was only for sixworking days, was conducted with Deputy Speaker NadendlaManohar at the helm. Though Manohar is in the race for theSpeaker''s post, the Congress high command is yet to take adecision on his elevation. Congress sources feel a decision onthe election of Speaker is unlikely to be taken soon.

Finance Minister Aanam Ramanarayana Reddy will presentthe Budget for 2011-12 on February 23. Indications are thatthe Budget estimates could be pegged at over Rs 1.20 lakhcrore despite the state''s balance sheet remaining red.

The Assembly will see changed political equations thistime with Praja Rajyam Party (PRP), the third largest groupingin the House with 18 MLAs, deciding to merge with Congress.

But the members of PRP, led by its chief, filmstar KChiranjeevi, will continue to occupy separate seats in theAssembly as technical formalities related to the "merger" havenot been completed yet.

The TRS, that has 11 MLAs in the 294-member Assembly,has threatened to move a no-confidence motion against thegovernment, despite lacking in numbers.

At least 30 members are required to endorse theno-confidence motion for it to be taken up for discussion bythe House. TRS challenged TDP to support the motion to proveit had not entered into a "match-fixing" with Congress.

TDP, however, was not ready to take TRS'' bait saying,it knew when and how to press for a no-confidence motion. PTIDBV RSY