YSRCP uproar over privatisation of medical colleges forces Council adjournment for the day

The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council on Friday was repeatedly disrupted by YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) members demanding an adjournment motion to discuss the State government’s move to privatise medical colleges under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

Soon after the day’s proceedings commenced, Council Chairman K. Moshen Raju announced that the Adjournment Motion moved by YSRCP members Monditoka Arun Kumar, Kumbha Ravi Babu and C. Subramanyam had been rejected. This immediately triggered an uproar, with Opposition members raising slogans against the TDP-led coalition government’s privatisation plan and plunging the House into disorder.

Repeated pleas by the Chairman, who assured that their demand would be placed before the Business Advisory Committee (BAC), went unheeded, forcing him to adjourn the House for 10 minutes.

When the Council reassembled after the BAC meeting, Chairman announced that the government had agreed to a short discussion on the issue. But the protests only intensified, with YSRCP leaders trooping to the Chairman’s podium and raising slogans. The Chairman appealed to the Leader of the Opposition Botsa Satyanarayana to allow the Question Hour to continue and permit the Finance Minister to make an important statement on GST, assuring that the discussion would follow. However, the YCP members refused to relent, leaving the Chairman with no option but to adjourn the House for the day.