The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Yellampally: Uproar at PAC meeting

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Tuesday, Dec 16, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Yellampally: Uproar at PAC meeting

Some Opposition members walk out; meeting again today

— Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

Fun after fracas: Leaders of Opposition parties sharing a light moment following a heated argument on the reopening of the Yellampally project during the Public Account Committee meeting held in Assembly in Hyderabad on Monday.

HYDERABAD: A decision by the Public Accounts Committee to reopen the proceedings over the Rs. 391-crore cost escalation of the Yellampally project attracting serious remarks by the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Lok Ayukta, led to acrimonious scenes in the PAC meeting here on Monday.

The PAC, which met on November 28, gave a clean chit to the government in the absence of its chairman Y. Ramakrishnudu.

A majority of the opposition members found no fault with the government and closed the issue.

The Congress members opposed the “unprecedented” decision to reopen an issue that “has been closed duly following the procedures.”

As the Opposition remained unrelenting in voicing their concern over the “large-scale misappropriation” of public money, the Congress members reportedly switched off power supply to mikes of opposition members.

Pandemonium

Pandemonium prevailed in the meeting for some time even as some of the opposition members walked out of the meeting “apprehending that they would be manhandled”. The proceedings were adjourned to Tuesday. “I have never seen members politicising the proceedings of the PAC in decades of my political experience,” said Mr. Ramakrishnudu, who so far avoided speaking to media on the PAC proceedings.

He clarified that the rules permitted the chair to reopen the proceedings on any issue either suo motu or on the request of the members.

BJP member G. Kishan Reddy told the media that it was a ‘black day’ in the history of the State as a constitutional body was undermined.

CPI (M) member T. Veerabhandram said the behaviour of the Congress members proved that MLAs and Ministers were involved in ‘misappropriation’ of funds in the name of irrigation projects.

Ch. Venkat Reddy (CPI) objected to the way the “voice of the Opposition was being stifled” while TDP member N. Janardhan Reddy faulted the Congress for trying to bulldoze the Opposition with its strength in the Assembly.

Controversial meeting

Congress member K. Bapiraju, who chaired the proceedings at the controversial meeting last time when the issue was closed, took exception to Mr. Ramakrishnudu’s decision to reopen the proceedings without consulting other members.

Congress member B. Goverdhan suspected that the PAC Chairman was acting under “pressure” from his party legislator Mr. Janardhan Reddy.

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