Santosh Patnaik
Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly has passed the AP Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill 2020 by voice vote.
The first day of winter session began at Amaravati near here amid strict Covid protocols. Media was also not allowed to ensure social distancing.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy intervened when the noisy Opposition tried to raise objection while Panchayat Raj Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy was tabling the Bill explaining the salient features.
‘The Bill was earlier passed by this House and sent to the Council which has returned it with some amendments. This was the second time the Bill has been tabled in the House and it is just a formality to get it passed. There is no reasoning on part of the Opposition to make it an issue,’ the Chief Minister said.
There is no scope for delaying the Bill as its adoption by Council is just a formality. What was decided by this House by majority of 151 members will prevail and the same Bill in its original form is before the House for consideration and passing remains a formality. The Opposition is acting as if the Bill has been just introduced and is unaware of it, Reddy said.
The Bill has a provision to check the malpractices in elections, including money power, and reducing the election process by expediting the schedule, besides allowing action to be taken even after the election results are announced.
As the Council has sent it back the government is passing it in the Assembly for the second time, the Chief Minister said.
The Panchayat Raj Minister explained the features and the House passed the Bill with a voice vote. The amendments proposed by the Council were rejected by the House and the Bill was passed in the same format as introduced earlier.
