VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed 10 Bills on Monday, including the Andhra Pradesh Education (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Andhra Pradesh Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Andhra Pradesh Prohibition (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Andhra Pradesh Advocates Welfare Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
Also passed by voice vote were Andhra Pradesh Education (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Andhra Pradesh Public Libraries (Amendment) Bill, 2023 after they were moved by minister for education Botcha Satyanarayana. The two Bills were tabled on Sunday.
The Assembly also passed the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2023, moved by deputy chief minister (Endowments) K. Satyanarayana; the Andhra Pradesh State Minorities Commission (Amendment) Bill,2023 moved by deputy chief minister (minority welfare) S.B. Amzath Basha, the Registration (Andhra Pradesh) Amendment Bill, 2023 that was moved by revenue minister Dharmana Prasada Rao.
The Andhra Pradesh Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and Andhra Pradesh Prohibition (Amendment) Bill, 2023, moved by deputy chief minister (excise) K. Narayana Swamy was passed by voice vote.
The Andhra Pradesh Advocates Welfare Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was tabled by municipal minister Audimulapu Suresh, the Andhra Pradesh Commission for Backward Classes Other than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the State of Andhra Pradesh (Amendment) Bill, 2023 moved by minister for BC welfare Ch. Srinivasa Venugopala Krishna were also passed by voice vote. The Andhra Pradesh Milk Procurement (Protection of Farmers) and Enforcement of Safety of Milk Standards Bill, 2023 was also passed.
Narayana Swamy said that the government is avowed to reduce consumption of alcohol in the state with a view to improve the physical health of the people. He further said that accordingly, amendments were carried out in 2020 to the relevant provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Prohibition Act, 1995 enhancing imprisonment up to eight years and fine up to `five lakh for offences.
Swamy said that simultaneously this has also resulted in heavy pendency in the number of cases in the trial courts resulting in heavy workload, which has brought to the fore the need to recognize the difference between offences of grave and non-grave nature. He said the amendments were made to make provision for grave and non-grave offences and enabling compounding of offences involving smaller quantities of intoxicants, committed for the first time. This will augur well for efficient utilisation of manpower in enforcement agencies for focused investigations and reduce pendency in trial courts.
Council passes three bills: Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council passed three government bills here on Monday.
Minister for revenue Dharmana Prasada Rao moved the first bill dealing with the Andhra Pradesh Dotted Lands (Updation in Re-Settlement Register) (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which will help removal of lands from prohibited list so that farmers could take up cultivation of crops and clear titles would be given to such lands.
The minister moved the second bill pertaining to Andhra Pradesh Rights in Land and Pattadar Pass Books (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which will provide farmers pattadar passbooks following the conduct of ongoing comprehensive land survey.
The minister also moved the Andhra Pradesh (Andhra Area) Inams (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) (Amendment) Bill, 2023 for consideration and accordingly, the bill was passed. All the three bills have been passed in the Assembly earlier.
