Stage set for a stormy monsoon session of Telangana legislature from Thursday

Bills returned by Governor likely to be reintroduced and new Bills to be tabled

The monsoon session of the Telangana Legislative Assembly is likely to see the State government facing Opposition’s criticism over the alleged tardy relief work in the flood-affected areas. File | Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G

The stage is set for the commencement of the monsoon session of the Telangana legislature on Thursday.

The Business Advisory Committee of the legislature is likely to meet on Thursday afternoon to finalise the agenda for the session and its duration. The monsoon session, convened after the adjournment of the budget session on February 12, is likely to be a stormy one as it comes at a time when the State government is facing severe criticism from the Opposition parties over the alleged tardy relief work in the flood-affected areas, north Telangana districts in particular which bore the brunt of the recent unprecedented rain.

The Opposition parties raised a hue and cry over the government’s alleged failure in taking up at least enumeration of loss leave alone extending immediate relief to the flood-affected families.

The session is likely to have a detailed debate on the impact of the floods and the relief measures that had been initiated.

This apart, the government is keen on reintroducing and passing the Bills that were returned by Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, an issue that brought forth the widening gulf between the Raj Bhavan and Pragati Bhavan (Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s camp office-cum-residence). The State government filed an appeal in the Supreme Court to direct the Governor to give her assent to 10 Bills that were passed by the legislature. These included two pertaining to the amendments to the Municipalities Act, establishment of regulation of private universities and setting up of a common recruitment board.

The Governor, however, clarified that three of the Bills had been returned with clarifications and comments. Hence, the government had decided to reintroduce the returned Bills, pass them and send them for the assent so that the Governor’s institution would be left with no option.

The government is planning to introduce some new Bills, which include the one merging the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation with the government and a Bill repealing the Telangana Allopathic Private Medical Care Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Bill. The Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences Bill, aimed at putting in place effective management of upcoming super speciality hospitals, is also likely to be introduced. This apart, members would be apprised about the revised cost for the expansion of the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences from ₹1,571 crore to ₹1,698 crore for adding 2,000 more beds in the hospital along with necessary infrastructure.