The Legislative Assembly passed the Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill 2020 by voice vote, on the first day of the winter session on Monday.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy intervened when the Opposition leaders tried to raise objection while Panchayat Raj Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy was tabling the Bill and explaining its salient features.
“The Bill was earlier passed by this House and was sent to the Council which returned it with some amendments. This is the second time the Bill is being 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,” said the Chief Minister.
He further said that there was no scope for negating the Bill again.
“What was decided by this House by the majority of 151 members will prevail. The Bill in its original form is before the House for consideration and its passing is a formality. The lead Opposition party is acting as if the Bill has been just introduced and is unaware of it,” said Mr. Jagan.
Salient features
The Bill has the provisions to check the malpractice in elections, including the use of 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 Legislative Council had sent it back, we are passing it in the Assembly for the second time,” said the Chief Minister.
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 it was introduced earlier,” said Mr. Ramachandra Reddy.