Speaker Slams Absent Legislators, Urges ‘No Work, No Pay’ Norm
Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Ayyanna Patrudu has criticized legislators for staying away from the House while continuing to draw salaries. His remarks come ahead of the Assembly session starting September 18, with the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) still boycotting proceedings.
Former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has demanded recognition for his party as the principal opposition, a matter now before the court.
Speaking at the National Women’s Empowerment Conference in Tirupati, Mr. Patrudu reminded MLAs that they were elected to address public issues and must not shirk their responsibility. He compared their absence to workplace absenteeism, where employees face disciplinary action, and said lawmakers too should follow the “no work, no pay” principle.
The Speaker urged the Lok Sabha Speaker to issue guidelines on dealing with legislators who skip Assembly proceedings, pointing out that the House already meets for only a limited number of days each year. He also suggested making attendance for at least 50 days mandatory.
On the conference itself, Mr. Patrudu said Tirupati was a fitting venue for a women’s empowerment meet. He recalled Andhra Pradesh’s pioneering role in granting women equal property rights under former Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao, who also introduced job reservations for women and established a women’s university in the temple town.
He credited former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu with strengthening self-help groups and noted that Andhra Pradesh, which once had a woman Speaker, had set an example for other States.
With the Assembly session around the corner, all eyes are on whether Mr. Jagan and his party will stick to their boycott or return to the House.