The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Cabinet for modification of free power scheme

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 23, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Cabinet for modification of free power scheme

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, DEC. 22. The scheme for free power supply to farmers launched by the Congress Government as soon as it assumed office is in for some " adjustments and modifications."

At a meeting here on Wednesday, the State Cabinet reviewed the practical difficulties faced in the implementation of the free power supply scheme and authorised the Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, to take appropriate decision on the changes required.

Dr. Reddy, in turn, said he would take a decision after convening an all-party meeting on December 27 to elicit the opinion of various political parties. He has opted for such consultations since a full-fledged debate on free power supply could not take place in the winter session of the Assembly, the Information & Public Relations Minister, Mohd Ali Shabbir, stated at a briefing later.

Rights panel

The meeting also decided to constitute a State Human Rights Commission in place of the existing committee which was formed in pursuance of the Supreme Court's directions. The SHRC would be headed by a retired Chief Justice of the High Court and consist of a High Court judge, a district judge and two other persons well-versed in human rights matters, as members.

A committee would be formed with the Chief Minister as chairman, Assembly Speaker, the Minister in-charge of the General Administration Department (presently Dr. Reddy himself) and the Leader of the Opposition as members, to recommend these names to the Governor. The proposed Commission would go into all human rights violations enumerated in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.

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