AP Assembly passes nine bills on third day

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh Assembly passed nine bills on the third day of the Monsoon Session on Monday. Of these, four were passed unanimously.

These included, among others, the AP Private Universities (establishment and regulation) (amendment) bill, 2023, the APPSC (amendment) bill, 2023 and the AP GST (amendment) bill.

After Question Hour, Speaker Tammineni Sitaram took up the government bills for discussion and passage. Various ministers presented the bills and all were passed.

PSC (entrustment of additional functions with respect to the services of universities) (amendment) bill, 2023, the AP GST (Amendment) bill, 2023, the APSRTC (absorption of employees into government service) (amendment) bill, 2023, the AP motor vehicles taxation (amendment) bill, 2023 with AP motor vehicles taxation (second amendment) bill, 2023, the AP assigned lands (prohibition of transfers) (amendment) bill, 2023, the AP Bhoodan and Gramdan (amendment) bill, 2023, the AP charitable and Hindu religious institutions and endowments (amendment) bill, 2023 and the AP private universities (establishment and regulation) (amendment) bill, 2023.

Transport minister Pinepe Viswaroop said state government absorbed the employees of APSRTC into government service, with effect from 1-1-2020 by creating a public transport department as its head of the



department under the administrative control of T,R&B department in accordance with the provisions of "the AP state road transport corporation (absorption of employees into government service) act, 2019 (act 36 of 2019)".

He explained that all rules made by or under any law for the time being in force applicable to the state government employees shall be applicable to the employees of APSRTC absorbed into government service by virtue of this act.

Viswaroop said there was a need to amend Section 5 the act 36 of 2019 to ensure continuity and functioning of APPTD in accordance with the predecessor regime, to sustain the disciplinary proceedings which have been initiated against delinquent employees of PTD as per APSRTC conduct and CCA regulations, to ensure that there is no vacuum in relation to the conduct of disciplinary proceedings and to remove legal complications.

The minister said that as the legislature was not in session then and having been prorogued, it has been decided to give effect the provisions immediately. Accordingly, the Governor has promulgated the AP state road transport corporation (absorption of employees into government service) (amendment) ordinance, 2023 on June 23, 2023.

He said this bill is replacing the ordinance and making it an act.