Oppn members suspended on farmers' issues

Several members of Opposition Congress, TDP, BJP and the Left were on Monday suspended from Telangana Legislative Assembly for remainder of the on-going monsoon session for disrupting the House while insisting on a debate over farmers' loan waiver.

As the House met for the day, Speaker S Madhusudhana Chary took up Question Hour, but the Congress and TDP members sought a debate on the loan waiver for farmers. The Speaker, however, rejected their demand observing that the farmers' issues were discussed at length for two days last week. He appealed to the members to let the House conduct its scheduled business, but the Opposition legislators did not relent. Holding placards in their hands, the main Opposition Congress members stood up and made their point.

Noting that the issues of farmers were debated at length and that the government has also given its decision, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said the Opposition members should let the House take up its business. As the Opposition MLAs entered the well of the House and raised slogans, the Speaker asked Legislative Affairs Minister T Harish Rao to move the motion for suspension of the members. A large number of members named by the minister were suspended for the remaining days of the monsoon session. Members of MIM and some from the Congress were not named.

The Opposition members have been demanding that the TRS government waive the farmers' loan, an election promise of the ruling party, at one go instead of doing so in a phased manner. The waiver of loans would help in putting an end to the ongoing suicides by farmers due to distress, they said. The TRS government said it would make sincere efforts to waive the loan at one go. Loan waiver to the tune of about Rs 800 crore has already been implemented. The monsoon session of the state Assembly is scheduled to end on October 10.