Amid confusion over the three capitals issue and likely legislative and legal hurdles, a former Speaker’s view seems to offer a solution to the ruling YSR Congress Party which is determined to get the Decentralisation of Development and Repeal of CRDA Bills passed.
It looks like getting the Bills passed is a cakewalk for the Assembly. The Legislative Council’s decision of referring them to a select committee can be reversed with its decision, according to former Speaker of the combined Andhra Pradesh K.R. Suresh Reddy.
Mr. Reddy is of the view that the Council has used the rule position as a weapon, but the Assembly can exercise its powers to get them passed in the form they wish.
Speaking to The Hindu on the over phone, Mr. Suresh Reddy said, “In my view, the Upper House (Council) is more of recommendatory in nature. The select committee should be viewed as a recommendation by the Council. The Assembly can send its own version of the Bills once again and get them passed ultimately.”
The decision on select committee is a contradiction between the Assembly and the Council. Since the decision has been taken, the matter should be referred to the Assembly as per rules, and the Assembly is empowered to take a final call on the Bills, he said.
Latest precedent
For instance, the Education Bill 1/1982-(Amendment Act) 2019 was passed by the Assembly and was referred to the Council. The Council had sent it back with recommendations to it but the same Bill was passed by the Assembly for the second time on Thursday, rejecting the recommendations.
For record, Chairman of the Council Mohd Ahmed Shariff, instead of rejecting it or returning it with recommendations, referred the Bills to a select committee after amid heated arguments by members of the ruling the YSR Congress, the Opposition TDP and others.
The YSRCP government sees the select committee recommendation as a political conspiracy hatched by the TDP.
