NE NEWS SERVICE
AMARAVATI, DEC 18
The Andhra Legislative Assembly on Monday passed the Andhra Pradesh Prohibition (Amendment) Bill 2019 with a voice vote.
The Bill, tabled by Minister for Excise and Commercial Taxes Minister K Naryana Swamy, enables stringent action against the offenders who trade in illicit liquor and bars that violate the law.
Intervening during the discussion, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said that his government is committed for implementing its policy of reducing the consumption of alcohol.
The Bill will amend the State Excise Act, and will book criminal cases against those who manufacture, are in possession, or transport illicit liquor. It will be a non-bailable offence with a sentence of six months jail and a fine of Rs two lakhs for the first time. If repeated, the fine will be increased to Rs five lakh along with a jail term of six months.
If bars violate the rules, their licence fees will be doubled for the first time and if repeated the licence will be cancelled.
The Chief Minister said that his government has closed down all the 43,000 belt shops that have popped up during the previous TDP term. We have closed down 40% of the bars and done away with the permit rooms that were set up adjacent to shops. We have also reduced the timings of the sale of liquor and the women police attached to Village Secretariats will keep a vigil and alert if there is any violation of the Excise Act.
On the other side, we are including in the curriculum the ill-effects of alcohol in moral studies and also set up deaddiction centres in all districts, he said.
New Year Bonanza: RTC to merge with Govt. January 1, retirement age up 60
State Legislative Assembly also passed the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (Absorption of Employees into Government Services) Bill 2019.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy announced in the House that all RTC employees will be treated as government staff from January 1, 2020 and the retirement age will be increased from 58 years to 60 years.
It has been a long cherished dream of the employees and their demands were pending since long. We are happy to announce that their dreams have come true during our term, the Chief Minister told the House.
With the merger, 52,000 employees of RTC will be absorbed into the State Government and will come under the Transport Department, he said.
The government will have to spend Rs 3,600 crore towards salaries of the newly absorbed employees, he said adding that ‘’our wish is to see them happy.’’
The Bill, tabled by Transport Minister Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani), said that a Committee headed by C Anjaneya Reddy to look into various issues including the merger, feasibility of substituting the present buses with electric buses among other issues, has submitted its report and recommendations.
Bill passed for Dr. YSRFAU at Kadapa
The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed by voice vote the Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University (Amendment) Bill 2019 which enables the setting up of Fine Arts University at Kadapa named after Dr YS Rajsekhara Reddy.
The Bill, moved by Education Minister A Suresh, has the provision to establish Dr YSR Architecture and Fine Arts University in Kadapa district as the Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University (JNFAU) of Hyderabad was not bifurcated under the tenth schedule even after the bifurcation of the Andhra Pradesh.
The Andhra Pradesh Education Bill 1/1982-(Amendment Act) 2019 was passed by voice vote which enables to introduce English-medium in all government schools with Telugu as compulsory subject.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said that the English-medium will be introduced from Class 1 to Class 6 and in four years the students will be in a position to write Board exam in English. Three amendments to the existing Act will bring a sea change in the system of education and it is a historic moment as it is not Right to Education but Right to English-Medium.
Earlier, the Andhra Pradesh Universities Acts (Amendment) Bill 2019, piloted by Education Minister Adimulapu Suresh, was passed by voice vote.
The Bill enables the State to incorporate the Chairman of Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) or his nominee as ex officio member under Class-I in the composition of Executive Councils of the state Universities (Conventional and Specialised).
The Andhra Pradesh Universities Acts (Second Amendment) Bill 2019, moved by Education Minister Adimulapu Suresh was also approved by the State Assembly by voice vote.
The Legislative Assembly also passed the Andhra Pradesh Cooperative Societies (Second Amendment) Bill 2019 which enable deaf-mute and those affected by leprosy from holding office in the governing body of the Cooperative Societies.
The Bill, moved by Minister for Agriculture & Cooperation, K. Kanna Babu was passed by a voice vote.
Millets Board
The House also passed by voice vote the Andhra Pradesh Millets Board Act 2019 to set up Millet Board which will spearhead the expansion of millet crop and growth of millet industry from crop planning to marketing. The Bill was moved by Agriculture Minister K Kanna Babu on behalf of Minister of Marketing, Mopidevi Venkataramana.
The House also passed the Andhra Pradesh Prohibition (Amendment) Bill 2019 and the Andhra Pradesh Municipal Laws (Amendment) Bill 2019.
