Telangana Assembly adjourned after protests over loan-waiver

Hyderabad: The Telangana Legislative Assembly was adjourned on Thursday for the day soon after it met following protest by opposition Congress and TDP members.

Speaker S Madhusudanachary took up question hour as the House met, but several members of main opposition Congress and also TDP went into the Well. They were speaking to the Speaker who asked them to resume their seats as the issue (farmers’ welfare including suicides in distress) was discussed for two days.

When Roads and Buildings, Women and Child Development Minister T Nageswara Rao was replying to a query by ruling TRS member Konda Surekha, the Opposition members in well started raising slogans and the Speaker adjourned the House for Monday, the next working day, as the protesting members did not relent.

After the House was adjourned, almost all opposition parties, including Congress, TDP, BJP, YSR Congress and the Left held a protest outside the Legislative Assembly building.

They were taken away from the place by police after some time. At the conclusion of the two-day debate on farmers’ issues last night, Congress and other opposition parties demanded that a time-frame be given for paying the remaining instalments of farmers loan waiver at one go.

"The opposition parties are raising prevention of farmers’ suicides and demanding waiving farmers’ loans at one go. But the government is trying to sidestep the issue. The Chief Minister left the House suddenly and the Agriculture Minister did not respond (yesterday). Today, the House was adjourned suddenly. It shows the government’s negligent attitude towards farmers," senior Congress MLA T Jeevan Reddy told reporters during the protest after the adjournment.

The government is not opening its eyes though all parties tried to mount pressure in farmers’ interests, BJP floor leader K Laxman alleged.