Hyderabad: The Winter Session of the Telangana Legislative Assembly entered its fourth day on Monday, January 5, with Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLAs skipping the proceedings after their request to show a presentation on the Krishna water issue was denied by the Speaker.
At the Legislative Council, Telangana Jagruthi president K Kavitha submitted her resignation from the MLC post and urged the Council Chairman, Gutha Sukhender Reddy, to accept her resignation. She was suspended from BRS in September last year, reportedly for “anti-party activities.”
Discussion on HILT Policy
The members of the Assembly held a short discussion on the Hyderabad Industrial Lands Transformation (HILT) policy, during which I-T Minister D Sridhar Babu said it aims at renewing the city by shifting polluting or non-functional industries beyond the Outer Ring Road (ORR). He said that about 9,292 acre of industrial land will be reused for mixed purposes such as housing, commercial spaces and I-T developments.
Second phase of Indiramma saree distribution
The government informed the Assembly that 30 lakh sarees were distributed under Phase 1 of the Indiramma saree distribution scheme. The second phase will commence from March 1 to March 8, said Minister of Women and Child Welfare Dansari Anasuya Seethakka.
485 new ventilators, emergency response time reduced
Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha made a series of announcements in the Assembly. He informed that the time to respond to emergencies was brought down from 16 to 11 minutes, so that more lives could be saved. “In tribal areas of Telangana, the time to respond to emergencies has been brought down to 10 minutes,” he said.
The Health Minister said that there are 1,770 ventilators in government hospitals in the state, and the state government is procuring 485 additional ventilators worth Rs 58 crore for government hospitals by February this year.
He said that the ministry would sanction 813 posts, including 213 doctors and other staff at Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), and sought approval for funds from the Finance Ministry. NIMS will soon get a new Linac machine worth Rs 32 crore and a RECO (recovery) therapy machine worth Rs 8 crore by March 2026.
Narasimha also said 78 new 108 Ambulances and 70 new dialysis centres have been introduced. Each dialysis facility is available within an average distance of 25 km.
Telangana attracts Rs 15K crore investment: Tourism Minister
Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao informed the House that the government has attracted Rs 15,000 crore investments in the tourism sector. He also assured special funds for the development of Charminar and Chowmahalla Palace.
Prohibition and Excise Minister Jupally Krishna Rao introduced the Telangana Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill.
Merge Secunderabad Cantonment with GHMC: BJP MLA
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Secunderabad N Sriganesh recommended merging the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), and sought an annual funding of Rs 50 crore for SCB’s development.
Kavitha submits MLC resignation to Upper House
Suspended BRS MLC K Kavitha hit out at her father K Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS, alleging rampant corruption in Telangana under his regime and calling the BRS Constitution a “joke.”
Speaking in the Legislative Council, Kavitha, who was overcome by emotions, also said she was not party to certain unpopular decisions during the BRS rule.
Kavitha said that though she submitted her resignation from the MLC’s post on September 3 last year, it has not been accepted so far by the Council Chairman.
Recalling the events related to her suspension from BRS, she said the Disciplinary Action Committee of the party, which suspended her, came into existence overnight and that no procedures, such as issuing a show-cause notice, were followed.
“They cited a Disciplinary Action Committee. The Constitution of BRS, which wants to work at the national level, is an eight-page document. I am saying courageously today – the Constitution of the BRS party is a joke,” she said.
After a series of discussions in the Winter Session, Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar adjourned the session for the day.
