Liquor deaths, 'call money racket' set to dominate AP Assembly

The death of five persons in Vijayawada after consuming liquor, the 'call money racket' involving private money lenders, sand and bauxite mining in the state are expected to dominate the winter session of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly beginning tomorrow. The session is expected to be held for five working days and the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the House would decide on the agenda. Five persons lost their lives after consuming liquor at an outlet in Vijayawada and inquiry is on into the incident. The 'call money racket' (also in Vijayawada) with allegations of harassment and exploitation of borrowers by private money lenders after providing easy loans has become a major embarrassment to the TDP government. Several persons have been arrested in connection with the racket, in which activists cutting across political lines are allegedly involved. The opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) alleged that ruling TDP MLAs are involved in illegal sand mining in the state. Opposition leader and YSRCP president YS Jaganmohan Reddy yesterday sought the intervention of Governor ESL Narasimhan into the 'call money racket' and the bauxite mining issue in Visakhapatnam region. The move to take up bauxite mining is being opposed by tribals of the region. The YSRCP MLAs, who met here today to discuss their strategy in the Assembly session, decided to forcefully raise the issues in the House. The land pooling for construction of capital city is also expected to figure during the session. Farmers and other land owners in some villages in the capital region have been refusing to part with their land. The government has already pooled more than 33,000 acres for capital city construction under its land pooling scheme. The land owners would get developed land, among other benefits, under the scheme. Call money is an instant loan available over a call through flexible process where the lender comes home with money, promissory note and other documents on extremely high interest rates. Another key factor in the process is that the lender can demand return of money over a call anytime and anywhere.