Blaming the Union government for failing to take any action on its resolution seeking abolition of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council, the state Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, November 23, adopted a fresh one, withdrawing the previous statutory resolution and seeking to continue the Council that is in existence. Finance and Legislative Affair Minister Buggana Rajendranath moved the resolution and the Assembly passed it by voice vote.
On January 27 last year, the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government passed the statutory resolution under Article 169(1) of the Constitution seeking to abolish the state Legislative Council, "purely in public interest" as it was proving a drain on the exchequer. Earlier, the ruling YSRCP was in minority in the 58-member Council. Now that it has secured a majority of its members in recent days, the Jagan government passed another resolution to continue the Council.
"Despite constant persuasion of the matter at various levels and the elapse of a considerable period of time of one year and 10 months, the Government of India failed to take any action on the resolution of the AP Legislative Assembly. Meanwhile, the Council is functioning and discharging its bounden duties," Minister Buggana said in the latest resolution. He claimed that there was uncertainty among members of the Council as the matter of its abolition was kept pending by the Ministry of Home Affairs for an inordinately long period.
"In the context of the delay and there being no visibility as to the timeframe in which action is likely to be completed, it is considered necessary to put an end to the prevailing situation of uncertainty and ambiguity, which is affecting the dignity and decorum always associated with the Council and its members,” the Minister said. Hence, the move to withdraw the previous statutory resolution, Buggana added.
The move came a day after the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government passed a Bill in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, repealing the controversial AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act, 2020, which was intended to establish three capitals for the state. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, however, told the Assembly that the government would come up with a "complete, comprehensive and better" Bill to take forward his "decentralised development" plan after explaining "our genuine intention and the need for decentralisation" to all concerned and incorporating necessary changes.