AP govt faces legal hurdles over extending ‘vote on account’

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government, which wants to issue an ordinance extending the life of the present ‘vote on account’ budget by another 90 days is facing some legal hurdles.

The 90-day period of the vote on account budget passed by the YSRCP government will expire by July-end. But then, the AP government cannot issue an ordinance extending the vote on account budget as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh has not prorogued the Assembly that was convened for taking of oath of newly-elected members recently. The Assembly has not been adjourned sine die after the oath taking. According to Article 174, the Assembly has to be prorogued before the government can issue any ordinance. According to former Speaker of undivided Andhra Pradesh and former finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, the Governor needs to prorogue the current Assembly before an ordinance could be issued.

He said there is also another complication which may prevent the Governor from proroguing the Assembly. Under Rule 176 (1), the Assembly cannot be adjourned sine die and prorogued without the statutory address of the Governor to both the Houses of Legislature and without the Assembly and the Council passing the motion on thanks to the Governors address.

In the last session, the Governor did not address both the Houses.

According to Ramakrishnudu, the government has two options. One is to convene a short session of Assembly where the Governor can address both the Houses and then the government can introduce another vote on account budget for three months. The second option is convene a short session only for the Governor’s joint address, pass the motion on vote of thanks to the Governors address, adjourn the House sine die, prorogue it and then issue an ordinance extending the life of the vote on account budget. It remains to be seen what the government would do now, he added.

Ramakrishnudu also appealed to the government to restore the dignity of the Assembly and Council by ensuring that they meet more frequently to discuss and debate various issues. Normally any Assembly meets for about 40 to 90 days in a year. Kerala Assembly has a good record of meeting for 61 days in a year.