Telangana Budget session begins today

Hyderabad: The eighth session of the Third Telangana Legislative Assembly and the 26th session of the Telangana Legislative Council are scheduled to begin on Monday at 11:45 AM.

A significant event marking these sessions will be the inaugural address by the new Governor, Shiv Pratap Shukla, to the Assembly. Both legislative bodies will commence their proceedings with the Governor address.

The state government, under the leadership of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, intends for the sessions to last for ten days. Additionally, the 'Telangana Thalli' (Mother Telangana) statue is slated for unveiling on the Assembly premises on Monday, although its design has drawn opposition from BRS leaders.

In preparation for the upcoming sessions, Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar and Legislative Council Chairman Gutha Sukhender Reddy convened a preparatory meeting on Sunday.

Held in the Assembly building's Committee Hall, the meeting involved senior state government officials and high-ranking police officers to meticulously review logistical, amenity, and security arrangements. Attendees included Deputy Chairman Banda Prakash Mudiraj, Minister for Legislative Affairs Duddilla Sridhar Babu, Minister for Roads and Buildings Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Legislative Council Secretary V. Narasimha Charyulu, and Assembly Secretary Rendla Tirupati.

Also present were Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao, Principal Secretaries Sandeep Sultania (finance) and Rahul Bojja (GAD), Finance Secretary Gaurav Uppal, and Special Secretary (Finance) Sikta Patnaik. The police contingent comprised DGP Shivadhar Reddy, ADG (Law & Order) Mahesh Bhagwat, Additional DGP (Intelligence) Vijayakumar, Commissioners of Hyderabad, Malkajgiri, and Cyberabad (V.C. Sajjanar, Avinash Mohanty, and M. Ramesh respectively), Intelligence IG Karthikeya, and the Chief Marshals of the Assembly and Council, Karnakar and Sanjeeva Reddy.

During the meeting, the Speaker emphasised the necessity of continued full cooperation from the State government and officials, mirroring past support.

He highlighted the paramount importance of the Budget Sessions, noting their extended duration and daily proceedings. The Speaker asserted that a peaceful environment, both within and outside the legislative chambers, is crucial for the smooth conduct of these sessions.

He further stressed the need for stringent precautions to avert any untoward incidents or undesirable situations, ensuring that neither the government nor the Legislative Assembly faces disrepute. The Speaker also directed that information requested by Members be furnished with the utmost promptness.