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AP creates history by passing same bill twice

A history of sorts was created in the Andhra Pradesh assembly yesterday, when a bill seeking to regulate establishment of saw mills in the state was passed twice in a span of about 90 minutes.

The bill had to be passed twice as on the first occasion the Opposition was in no mood to discuss the issue as it was agitated over the arrest of sarpanches and municipal chairmen who took out a protest rally to the assembly yesterday.

The bill was passed by the assembly even as the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao-Telugu Desam Party leader Lakshmi Parvathi rushed towards the speaker's podium and argued with the deputy speaker who was in the chair.

The deputy speaker then permitted them to speak on the leaders's arrest.

Alleging that sarpanches and municipal chairmen were caned and arrested, the opposition urged the government to solve their problems and demanded a statement from the home minister.

Replying to the debate, Home Minister A Madhav Reddy denied that the police resorted to caning and said the sarpanches and chairmen were arrested and later let-off.

After the brief debate was over, the Opposition members wanted a discussion on the amendment to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Act which sought to regulate establishment of saw mills.

Legislative Affairs Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, however, contended that a bill could not be passed twice and said the House should take up the next topic listed on the agenda.

Disputing this, the Opposition members said whatever was transacted when the House was not in order could not not be valid.

The deputy speaker then permitted the Opposition members to seek "clarifications".

Unhappy with this, the Opposition again rushed to the podium. Speaker Y Ramakrishnudu, who entered the House at this stage, said since the bill was passed in a hurry and the debate was ''reopened'', it could be passed once again, amidst thumping of desks by Opposition members.

The House later passed the same bill.

UNI

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