MiM Floor Leader Akbaruddin Owaisi in State Assembly Hall.
MiM Leader Akbaruddin Owaisi's reply to the debate on the motion of thanks for the Governor’s Address in Andhra Pradesh State Assembly.
The Honourable Governor’s Address to the Assembly is the fourth such address after the Congress regained power in the State in the historic 2004 elections. The Governor’s address, incidentally, provides a mid-term review of the performance of the Congress government under Dr Rajasekhar Reddy’s stewardship. The Congress made many promises in the election manifesto for 2004 polls and the government has taken steps to fulfil these promises over the last 33 months.
So far as the minorities are concerned, the Government made efforts to fulfil the promise for five percent reservations for Muslims in professional education and public employment. However, this decision has faced legal obstacles with the Honourable High Court striking down the reservations twice. Now the issue is pending before the Honourable Supreme Court.
We expected the Governor to make a mention of the government’s commitment to the reservations for Muslims and the efforts being made to overcome the legal hurdles. But it is unfortunate that there is glaring omission of this all important issue in the Governor’s address which is supposed to be a policy statement of the government, providing a review of its achievements in the outgoing year and setting out the agenda for the government in terms of its policies and priorities for the ensuing year. It would have been in the fitness of things if the Governor had referred to the reservations for Muslims.
I would like the Honourable Chief Minister to clarify on the efforts being made by the Government to implement the decision on Muslim reservations by overcoming the legal hurdles. I am sorry to point out that there is no forward movement on this key issue with the Honourable Supreme Court yet to constitute the constitutional bench to hear the state government’s appeal against the High Court’s judgement quashing the five percent reservations for Muslims. I would like to request the Honourable Chief Minister to request the Government of India to implead in the case. The Attorney General of India should be requested to assist the government on the issue.
Recently, while inaugurating national seminar on “Challenges and Opportunities for Indian Muslims (Sachar Committee Report) hosted by AP United Muslim Action Committee here in Hyderabad, the Chief Minister had made several announcements like cent percent coverage of Muslim students in pre and post-matric scholarships in the state from the next financial year, opening of 36 new hostels exclusively for Muslim boys and girls and financial assistance for modernization of education in Madrasas.
The Chief Minister also spoke about steps to make the minorities feel that they are stake-holders in the development of the state. He also assured that so far as Sachar Committee recommendations in relation to the state are concerned, the government would its best to implement them. I would like to know from the Chief Minister what follow up action is being taken by the State Government for implementation of Sachar Committee recommendations.
I would like to draw the attention of the Chief Minister to the Prime Minister’s New 15-Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities, which spells out a slew of measures, schemes, programmes, policy interventions and initiatives for enhancing opportunities for education for minorities, for providing equitable share in economic activities and employment for minorities, for improving the living conditions of minorities and for prevention and control of communal riots.
A number of centrally sponsored schemes and programmes are being implemented by the state government and the PM’s 15-Point programme clearly states that minorities should be covered under these schemes and programmes alongwith other sections of society. These schemes include Integrated Child Development Services, Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya scheme, teaching of Urdu, modernizing Madarsa education, self-employment and wage employment schemes such as SGSY, SJSRY and NREGP, bank credit and micro credit, Indira Awaas Yojana, IHSDP and JNNURM, besides recruitment to state services, including police force, etc. I would request the Chief Minister to spell out the action plan for implementing the PM’s New 15-Point Programme for Minorities.
The Governor’s Address offers some positive signals for the minorities. The Governor has announced that the allocation for scholarships for the minorities would be doubled in the ensuing financial year from Rs.31 crore in the outgoing financial year. The Governor also mentioned that scholarship rates have been enhanced.
However, I would like to point out that the budgetary allocation needs to be further enhanced to fulfil the Chief Minister’s announcement on the floor of the Assembly last year that the scholarship rates for minorities would be brought on par with the Backward Classes. This has not been done so far, though modest increases have been effected in the scholarship rates for minority students at pre-matric and post-matric levels.
Our party also welcomes the Governor’s announcement that the government proposed to saturate the post-matric scholarship and reimbursement of tuition fees to all eligible students among BCs and minorities beginning from next year as is being done for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
This saturation should cover the pre-matric students also as promised by the Chief Minister.
I am sorry to point out that nothing has been mentioned in the Governor’s address about Urdu education, effective steps for implementation of Urdu as second official language in 15 districts, including the appointment of Second Official Language Commission for Urdu. Similarly, nothing has been mentioned about the scheme proposed by the Chief Minister for grants-in-aid for modernization of Madrasa education. No mention has also been made about the 36 new hostels for minorities promised by the Chief Minister.
The Governor dwelt at length on the implementation of land reforms and the scheme taken up for large-scale distribution of lands to the landless poor during the last two year. The government has launched second generation land reforms (Bhoo Yagnam) for resuming the assigned lands in the illegal possession of influential persons but I would request the Honourable Chief Minister to take effective steps for resumption of Wakf lands in the illegal occupation of influential persons and institutions, including government agencies. A drive should be launched to take back Wakf lands which are under illegal occupation.
So far as weaker sections housing programme is concerned, I would like to point out that the minorities, particularly Muslims, are not allotted houses in proportion to their population or as per the stipulated quota in urban and rural housing schemes. Our party welcomes the decision of the government to come out with a policy to help lower middle and middle class families to have their own houses, especially in view of the soaring land prices.
The Governor has referred to the emerging water challenge in the state capital. There is urgent need to take up the third phase of the Krishna Drinking Water Supply scheme for bringing a further 90 million gallons per day to the twin cities. Moreover, the Chief Minister had announced recently that 33 tmc feet of water or 550 MGD would be brought to Hyderabad through the Pranahita-Godavari link scheme. But the Governor has talked about only bringing 10 tmc feet of Godavari water to the city. This is not enough to tackle the impending water crisis.
Regarding the Old City of Hyderabad, the Governor has reiterated the Chief Minister’s
announcement of a special package of Rs 2024.65 crore to improve the basic infrastructural facilities in the next three years. The Governor has said that a similar proposal for the development of other parts of the twin cities is being prepared. Here, I would like to request the Chief Minister to ensure budgetary allocations under the State budget and central schemes to the tune of Rs.750 crore per year for expeditious implementation of Old City package as scheduled.
Another suggestion I would like to make. Hyderabad District Collector, Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad and Hyderabad Urban Development Authority are overburdened with work of implementation of various schemes, programmes and projects in the twin cities. Therefore, for effective implementation and monitoring of the Old City special package, the Quli Qutub Shah Authority should be strengthened by conferring the statutory statue of an Urban Development Authority. Adequate staff, powers and financial allocations should be made to QQSUDA for overseeing the implementation of Old City special package.
The Governor has mentioned about the Mass Rapid Transit System to be taken up at an outlay of Rs 7,986 crore for covering 60 kms in the first phase. The work on the MRTS is scheduled to commence in the ensuing financial year. The government should take care that a minimum number of properties are affected under this project, particularly in the Old City of Hyderabad. The government should also ensure that the affected property owners are paid compensation at the prevailing market rates to avoid hardships and litigation.
I would also request the Government to take up the Bus Rapid Transit System as a complementary scheme for the MRTS. The Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad has already accorded sanction for the BRTS, covering a length of 42 kms at a cost of Rs 316 crore. The BRTS is essential for solving the chronic traffic problem in Hyderabad city. There is also need to expeditiously complete the Outer Ring Road project to ease the traffic chaos in the twin cities.
As regards Hussainsagar Lake and Catchment Area Improvement project with an outlay of Rs 310 crore,I may point out that we have been hearing for several years now that the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation has evinced interest in the project and agreed to extending financial assistance. But nothing has happened so far and we hope that this time, atleast, the work on the project gets going to restore the lake water quality and ecology at the earliest. However, there is no mention about the Musi River Conservation project and I request the Chief Minister to enlighten the House on this scheme.
Our party welcomes the plans to ensure water and power supply on round-the-clock basis for the state capital. I would request the Chief Minister to ensure that there are no power cuts in the current summer, especially in the cities and towns, in view of the ensuing public examinations for SSC, Intermediate, polytechnic, professional and degree and post-graduate courses during March and April.
As regards the government’s decision to set up regional development boards to ensure balanced regional development and development of all districts. This has been a longstanding demand of our party and the Finance Minister K Rosaiah reacted positively while replying to debates on state budget earlier but the implementation of the assurance has taken unduly long time. The sooner the regional boards are constituted, the better. However, unless a special package is announced for Telangana, as demanded by our party repeatedly, no purpose will be served by reviving the regional boards which were abolished without rhyme or reason by previous TDP government headed by N T Rama Rao in the early 1980s.
On the issue of Naxalism, I may recall that the Congress manifesto promised to hold peace talks with the Maoists to find a lasting solution to this protracted problem. The Congress viewed this problem as a socio-economic issue rather than strictly a law and order problem. But, after the aborted peace talks in 2004, the government seems to treat left-wing extremism purely as a law and order problem by giving a free hand to the police to neutralize the Maoists through arrests, induced surrenders and encounter killings. Encounters are no answer and it would be better if the Government revives the peace talks with Maoists at the earliest.
Additional points on Governor’s address:
The Governor has mentioned that the state’s economy is showing significant growth. During the Tenth plan period, which ends on March 31 this year, the state has recorded higher growth compared to eighth and ninth plans. Without imposing fresh taxes, the Honourable Finance Minister has managed the State finances very well in the last 33 months, without resorting to ways and means advances or overdraft from the RBI for a single day. I hope that the Finance Minister would fulfil the target of bringing down the revenue deficit to zero level by the year 2009.
The agricultural sector is also showing signs of growth, thanks to the short-term and long-term initiatives taken by the government to help the distressed farmers. The Central government has approved a package of Rs 9,650 crore for the 16 districts in the state where a large number of farmers’ suicides were reported. It is heartening to know that the foodgrains production in the state during the previous year reached an all-time high of 169 lakh tones.
As regards Jalayagnam, the government has launched the work for completion of 30 major and 18 medium irrigation projects to create an additional ayacut of 69 lakh acres
besides stabilizing existing ayacut of 21 lakh acres. I may recall that the government had promised to complete at least eight major projects in the first two years and the remaining projects in five-year period.
But there has been time overrun on this score, though an additional ayacut of 12 lakh acres has been created so far. Our party demands that all the ongoing projects should be completed expeditiously, so that the backward areas in Telangana, Rayalaseema and north coastal Andhra get the much-needed irrigation water. Work should commence immediately on Pranahita-Godavari link project also.
On the issue of Special Economic Zones, it has been mentioned that the total extent of lands required for the SEZs would come to 1.5 lakh acres. The Governor has assured that the Government would ensure that “unless it is absolutely warranted, no wet land is acquired for creation of SEZs.” By saying so, the government is not ruling out the option of acquiring wet land in case of “absolute necessity” for the SEZs. We do not want the wet agricultural lands to be acquired for SEZs at all. Otherwise, this will cause heartburns to farmers and deprive them of their livelihood.
The power situation is turning to be precarious. The government should expeditiously complete the ongoing power projects in the public sector, including the 2,100 Megawatts combined cycle gas-based project near Karimnagar which is meant to supply power to Hyderabad . The Simhadri expansion power project and the Ultra mega power project at Krishnapatnam also need to be commissioned at the earliest. The government should make efforts to secure gas supply for the gas-based power projects, which are awaiting commissioning due to non-supply of gas so far.
Our party welcomes the novel scheme being introduced to provide insurance cover to BPL families for treating major ailments. The Arogya Sri scheme should cover all BPL families for providing insurance cover to the extent of Rs two lakh per annum. I would speak more on this subject when the demands for medical and health are taken up in the House later.
Also, the government should ensure effective implementation of all the schemes and programmes meant for improving school education. The Governor has announced that about 300 concept schools under public-private partnership mode are being proposed to bridge the rural urban divide in digital and communication skills. I would like the Chief Minister to give more details of this scheme when replying to the debate on Motion of Thanks for the Governor’s address.
With these words, I conclude my speech and thank the Honourable Speaker for giving me this opportunity.
Andhra Pradesh United Muslim Action Committee Members with Congress Party President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi submitting a Memorandum in New Delhi.
