Date:08/11/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/11/08/stories/2003110802850400.htm

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Focus on official agenda at Cabinet meet likely

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD Nov. 7. All eyes are focussed on Saturday's Cabinet meeting which has assumed a crucial dimension since its abrupt timing has further stoked speculation that the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, will advance the elections.

But, going by the accounts of senior officials and TDP leaders, the Cabinet meeting is primarily intended for clearing important administrative matters that will enable Mr. Naidu to turn his attention to his political agenda of elections and shifting his party into top gear.

With the media abuzz with reports about likely elections, the Chief Minister can be expected to drop broad hints about his thinking during the regular political review after officials withdraw from the meeting. He may be more forthcoming on November 9 by calling upon his partymen to prepare themselves for onerous tasks ahead during the interactive programme `dial your party president' being telecast by a private TV channel.

An indication that it will be business as usual for Mr. Naidu, after the Cabinet meeting is the video conference he has convened from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Secretariat tomorrow. He will discuss with senior Secretaries and District Collectors a range of subjects like the status of the of Velugu survey, issue of ration cards, kharif procurement, functioning of Rythu Bazars and employment generation schemes.

On top of the agenda before tomorrow's Cabinet meeting will be a decision on replacing the District Development & Review Committees (DDRC) with District Planning Boards and the transfer of some more powers to local bodies beyond the 17 subjects that have been entrusted to them. It is unlikely that the Cabinet will devolve the remaining 12 (out of 29 laid down in the 73rd Constitution Amendment) since there are administrative hurdles in transferring a subject like rural electrification since panchayats have no machinery to issue or collect power bills.

Weaker sections housing, ration cards and a discussion on ration cards are among the other subjects for discussion besides giving a guarantee for loans availed of by APGenco and APTransco from the Power Finance Corporation and other agencies. Such a packed agenda, official sources said, would leave little scope for a detailed discussion on election matters.

In spite of his studied silence on the subject of elections, Mr. Naidu has chalked out a hectic schedule for the TDP cadre and for himself for this month and the next. He is planning to visit East and West Godavari districts, most likely on November 10, to lay the foundation stone for several irrigation projects followed by some more official tours to Mahabubnagar and Adilabad later next week.

He is expected to sound the party's bugle for the Assembly elections at the TDP's first regional convention at Guntur on November 19 for which lakhs of people from four adjoining districts are proposed to be mobilised. Two more regional conventions are planned to be organised in quick succession in Karimnagar and Kurnool but their dates are yet to be finalised.

Ahead of these conventions, the party will hold general body meetings in all the 294 Assembly constituencies on November 16. The TDP is also galvanising its cadre to enrol voters in a big way on December 13 and 14 when the Election Commission will take up summary revision of electoral rolls.