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Bedlam in AP assembly over 'secret deals' with World Bank

Bedlam prevailed in the Andhra Pradesh assembly today when the opposition stalled the proceedings for about three hours. They were demanding that the government place before the house all the documents pertaining to the agreement reached with the World Bank for the Rs 33.20 billion loan for the state economic restructuring programme.

Soon after the house assembled for the day, chaotic scenes were witnessed as the members belonging to the Congress, Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India-Marxist repeatedly stormed into the well of the house and rushed towards the speaker's podium. They demanded that the documents be placed before the house as the government had agreed for a discussion on the issue.

Alleging that the government had reached 'secret deals' with the World Bank, the opposition insisted that no discussion would be meaningful without the documents, including a letter written by Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu to the World Bank president on May 14 last year.

Deputy Speaker Mohammad Farooq's repeated pleas to the opposition members to resume their seats went unheeded, as the members remained in the well of the house.

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