Bhatti blames Babu for wasting House time

Government Chief Whip Mallu Batti Vikramarka on Wednesday alleged that Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu had held the House to ransom and did not allow any meaningful discussions on the problems faced by the people to take place during the Budget Session which concluded on Tuesday.

Talking to media persons at the Congress Legislature Party Office, the Government Whip stated that Mr Naidu, who served as chief minister of the state for nine years, failed to utilize the precious time of House to seek redressal of people’s problems.

Mr Vikramarka also rued that the people of the state had chosen to send Mr Naidu as Opposition Leader to the House.

The Whip thanked Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, Finance Minister Anam Ramnarayana Reddy and Deputy Speaker Nadendla Manohar for passing the Budget in the House smoothly.

When asked on the allegations which were being hurled against the N Kiran Kumar Reddy-led government that it had entered into a tacit understanding with the TDP over the Joint Legislative Committee probe into allotments of lands to business associates of former Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy, Mr Vikramarka said that these allegations were baseless. He also told the scribes to pose the same question to Mr Naidu.

On resignation of Agriculture Minister Y S Vivekananda Reddy and the subsequent refusal by the Chief Minister, Mr Vikramarka said that he would react only after getting proper information.

The Whip also stated that the government had allotted sufficient time for discussions on the Telangana issue when questioned why it had failed to introduce a Telangana resolution during the Budget Session.

Reacting on filling up of Speaker, PAC chairman and other nominated posts, the Whip said Deputy Speaker Nadendla Manohar has dynamic and energetic qualities and has lot of patience to run the House smoothly. The decisions on who should fill these posts would be taken at the appropriate time, he stated.

The Government Whip refused to comment when asked to answer questions why the Bill to increase salaries of the Legislators was passed without discussion in the House.