BRS leader criticises govt for giving PAC chair to defected MLA

Hyderabad: BRS leader Vemula Prashant Reddy said on Tuesday that giving the post of PAC chairman to an MLA who defected from the party was against the parliamentary spirit and traditions.

Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, he said that among the three financial committees, the Public Accounts Committee has the first priority. The PAC monitors the expenditure of the State government. It is becoming the norm in the country to give the post of PAC chairman to the Opposition, which naturally questions it.

The former Legislative Affairs Minister said that it was clear in the Assembly rule book that PAC should have 13 members out of which nine members should be from the Assembly. The PAC members are not selected by election method.

During the Assembly sessions, the Speaker announces the election schedule of the financial committees. After completion of the PAC election, the Speaker should announce the names of the committee members in the Assembly itself.

Contrary to that, after 38 days, Assembly Committees were announced. Under Rule 250, the number of members is allotted to the Opposition, according to its number in relation to the PAC.

Reddy recalled that when BRS was told that there would be a chance for three members from the party in the PAC according to rules, the party had submitted nominations of T Harish Rao and Gangula Kamalakar. Where did the name of Arikepudi Gandhi come from, he asked? If there were more nominations than PAC members, then voting should be done.

How the nomination of Harish Rao was removed without voting. Who allowed Arikepudi Gandhi to file a nomination on behalf of BRS? The entire world knows Gandhi joined the Congress.

After Telangana formation, Kishtha Reddy, Geetha Reddy, and Akbaruddin Owaisi were given the post of PAC chairman, as per rules. BJP leader A B Vajpayee was given the post of PAC chairman during Indira Gandhi's regime. In the first two terms of Modi's tenure, Congress got the post of PAC chairman even though it did not have the status of Opposition. KC Venugopal was given the post of PAC chairman at the Centre on the suggestion of Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi.

Asserting that the CM was afraid of Harish Rao, Reddy asked why the name of Harish was removed from the PAC list. Revanth, who criticised KCR for destroying systems, did the biggest destruction in the PAC committees.