Telangana budget session begins on March 7 (Representational)
Hyderabad:
The budget session of the Telangana Legislature, which began without the traditional governor’s address, has been criticized by the opposition BJP and Congress, but experts say there has been no violation of rules.
The session begins on March 7 and Finance Minister T Harish Rao will present the budget on the same day, an official press release said earlier this week.
The state came under criticism from BJP president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar, who attacked Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, also known as KCR, for allegedly diverting the governor’s address.
Referring to KCR’s recent comments in favor of a new constitution in the country, Mr Kumar had tweeted: “KCR is already giving meaning to what he wants in a new constitution. No rules, no traditions – Only Sanak. I strongly condemn his decision. To end the Governor’s speech…”
BJP MP Dharmapuri Aravind and other party leaders have also criticized the TRS government for not scheduling the speech by Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan.
Objecting to the comments of BJP leaders, State Legislative Affairs Minister Vemula Prashant Reddy has said that the Governor’s address is not taking place as the budget session is a continuation of the previous session which has not been prorogued.
Citing constitutional provisions, he said the Governor should address the Legislature when a new session is held in a calendar year.
There have been instances in the past when the Governor’s Address did not attend the session.
“If the governor is invited for a session which has not been prorogued, it is wrong,” Reddy said.
Highlighting the achievements of the TRS regime, he said that the government would like to convey the achievements through the Governor’s address.
Meanwhile, Congress MLC T Jeevan Reddy asked why the previous session, which ended in October 2021, was not prorogued.
He said that nowhere is it mentioned that the Governor’s address is not required as the House was not prorogued.
The Congress leader said that the Governor’s address at the beginning of the financial year contains information about the programs to be taken by the government.
Speaking to PTI on Saturday, K Nageshwar, a professor of journalism and former MLC, said that the Constitution does not mention that the budget session should begin with the Governor’s address.
Mr Nageshwar, who referred to Article 176(1), said the constitutional mandate is that the first session in a year should begin with the Governor’s address.
But, the last session was not prorogued. The assembly is meeting for the second time in the last session. He said that since this is not a new session, the Governor’s address is not mandatory.
Though the KCR government is technically correct, the move is fraught with political intent, he said.
KCR was annoyed by the governor’s refusal to accept the cabinet’s recommendation to nominate Kaushik Reddy as MLC for the Huzurabad bypoll last year, Mr. Nageshwar said.
He said that the earlier session should have been prorogued and it would have been ideal to convene a new session with the Governor’s address.
Professor of Law and former Central Information Commissioner Madabhushi Sridhar Acharyulu said that although the government is technically correct that the Governor is not known as the previous session is not prorogued, it is better that the state government and the institution of the Governor are on the same page. .
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)