AP assembly passes 16 bills

The Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Monday passed 16 Bills on a variety of subjects, including one related to proposed absorption of State Road Transport Corporation employees into government service and another related to conversion of all schools from classes 1 to 6 to English medium of instruction from the next academic year.

The APSRTC (Absorption of Employees into Government Service) Bill, 2019, will enable absorption of 51,488 RTC staff into the new Public Transport Department being created.

The state government will take over a "financial responsibility" of Rs 3,600 crore per annum on account of the absorption of RTC staff, according to Transport minister Perni Venkataramaiah.

The APSRTC, founded in 1958, currently has outstanding liabilities of Rs 6,938 crore and a cumulative debt of Rs 3,450 crore while the Corporation has been making a monthly loss of Rs 100 crore.

Besides, it is carrying an interest burden of Rs 320 per annum, the minister explained.

"To remove the insecurity among employees because of the corporations precarious financial situation, and also to run the public transport organisation in an efficient manner, the government has decided to absorb all the staff," Nani added.

The Assembly later passed the Andhra Pradesh Education (Amendment) Bill to incorporate provisions related to conversion of medium of instruction in all schools from Telugu to English.

Initially, classes 1 to 6 will be converted to English medium in all schools, including private, from the 2020-21 academic year, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy said.

English medium will be introduced for classes 7 to 10 in the subsequent four years from 2021-22, he added.

The AP Prohibition (Amendment) Bill also got the Assembly's approval.

The proposed law is intended to curb illegal sale of liquor, illicit distillation and spurious and non-duty paid liquor as the state government is committed to implementing total prohibition (of liquor) in a phased manner, deputy chief minister (Excise) K Narayana Swamy said.

As per the new law, offenders could be punished with imprisonment from six months to five year and fine of not less than Rs 2 lakh.

The AP Excise (Second Amendment) Bill was also simultaneously passed.

The other Bills cleared include one each for establishment of exclusive Commissions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes; establishment of Millets Board, establishment of Pulses Board and amendments to the AP Universities Act.