Seven Amendment Bills Cleared in AP Assembly

Vijayawada: The fifth day of the Budget Session of the 16th Andhra Pradesh Assembly saw the unanimous passage of seven amendment Bills on Wednesday.The Bills signalled the “government’s thrust on social equity, regulatory reforms and administrative transparency.”The House reassembled after the tea break under the chairmanship of Deputy Speaker Kanumuru Raghu Ramakrishna Raju, who announced that all papers listed in the agenda would be deemed laid on the table of the House.The seven Bills were the Andhra Pradesh Municipal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (LA Bill 1 of 2026); the AP Municipal Laws (second amendment) Bill, 2026 (LA bill 2 of 2026); the AP Electricity Duty (amendment) Bill, 2026 (LA Bill 3 of 2026); the AP Panchayat Raj (amendment) Bill, 2026; the AP Allopathic Private Medical Care Establishments (registration and regulation) (amendment) Bill, 2026; the AP Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments (amendment) Bill, 2026; and Sri Venkateswara Vedic University (amendment) Bill, 2026.Leading the legislative business, urban development minister Ponguru Narayana said the AP Municipal Laws (second amendment) Bill, 2026 (LA Bill 2 of 2026), aimed at enhancing transparency in the levy of vacant land tax (VLT). The move follows representations from CREDAI and taxpayers’ associations seeking a reduction of financial burden and promotion of ease of doing business and construction activity.Energy minister Gottipati Ravikumar said the Bill seeks to rectify legal and procedural lacunae in earlier amendments and align provisions with the electricity act, 2003. Key changes include the incorporation of consumer categorisation and a validation clause, besides mandating legislative approval for GOs issued under the Electricity Duty Act.On behalf of Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan, tourism minister Kandula Durgesh introduced the AP Panchayat Raj (amendment) Bill, 2026. The amendment aligns the state law with changes made by the Central government to the Representation of the People Act, 1950, enabling four qualifying dates — January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 — for inclusion of newly eligible 18-year-old voters in electoral rolls.Health minister Satya Kumar Yadav said that the primary objective of the AP allopathic private medical care establishments (registration and regulation) (amendment) bill, 2026, is to bring AYUSH institutions — including clinics, dispensaries, therapy centres and hospitals — under statutory registration and regulatory oversight by extending provisions of the 2010 Act.The reform aims to ensure minimum standards, prevent unqualified practitioners, safeguard public health and create a uniform regulatory framework.Endowments minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy stated that the amendments to the AP Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1987, and the Sri Venkateswara Vedic University Act, 2006, in line with Supreme Court directions in W.P. No. 83/2010, dated May 7, 2025, would remove discriminatory references to persons suffering from or cured of leprosy, thereby upholding dignity and equality.With members extending unanimous support, Deputy Speaker Raghu Ramakrishna Raju declared all seven Bills passed by the House.



Source link