TDP members stage walkout from Assembly

Vijayawada: The Telugu Desam Party members staged a walkout from the Assembly on Tuesday, the seventh and last day of the winter session, protesting against the failure of the State government to release bills related to NREGS works.

The TDP MLAs have demanded that the State government immediately release the bills as the workers, sarpanches and others were facing problems.

Panchayat Raj Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy has said the social audit is underway and the government would release the bills after its completion. He responded to the demand by the TDP MLAs in the Question Hour.

MLAs K Atchannaidu, Nimmala Rama Naidu, Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary and Karanam Balaram had posed a question asking the Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development the quantum of funds released by the Centre in the current financial year under the National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme, whether the government had diverted the said funds for other needs without paying the said funds for the works completed.

If the funds are diverted, they asked the government to specify the time by which amounts will be paid to the workers for the works completed.

TDP deputy floor leader K Atchannaidu pointed out that the Central government released Rs 1,847 crore for NREGS works in the State in three instalments, but the State government stopped releasing the bills for the past few months.

He informed the House that the TDP government had executed many development works under NREGS and got 100 awards also. He further said Srikakulam district stood third in the country in execution of works under MNREGS.

He questioned whether the YSRCP government had diverted the funds sanctioned by the Union government for other purposes. Responding to it, Panchayat Raj Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy clarified that the government did not divert the funds.

He said that he was ready to resign to the Minister's post if the TDP proves that he was indulged in corruption or diversion of funds released by the Union government. He said social audit was underway for the works and the government would release the funds related after completion of the audit.

He alleged that many irregularities were committed during the execution of works under the TDP regime and fake bills were produced to swindle money.

TDP MLAs Maddala Giridhara Rao, Gadde Rammohan, Ganesh Kumar Vasupalli, N Chinarajappa, Adireddy Bhavani and others staged a protest for more than an hour near the Speaker's podium and later staged a walkout when Ministers failed to respond to their demand.

Meanwhile, YSRCP MLAs Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, Jogi Ramesh and others alleged that corruption took place under the previous TDP rule in the execution of works related to Neeru Chettu and other schemes.