Date:20/12/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/12/20/stories/2005122004770600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

A.P. Government pinned down on G.O. No. 610

Special Correspondent

TRS forces Government to announce steps on implementation

HYDERABAD: Members belonging to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) pinned down the Andhra Pradesh Government in the Assembly on Monday over GO No: 610, forcing it to announce that it would spell out measures for its implementation on December 28 after consultations with a Cabinet sub-committee.

There were noisy scenes when T. Harish Rao (TRS) and other members of his party, who tabled a short notice question, criticised the Government for blatantly allowing fresh postings and transfers to Telangana instead of repatriating those who continued to work in the region in violation of G.O. 610.

The Telugu Desam, the CPI, the CPI(M), the BJP and the Samajwadi Party echoed the TRS' demand for constituting a standing committee of MLAs from Telangana with the Chief Secretary as its member-convener as a permanent arrangement to ensure implementation of the G.O. G. Chinna Reddy and other Congress members from Telangana sprang a surprise on the Government by backing the demand.

Only one member from Coastal Andhra, G. Venkata Reddy (Congress), took part in the vociferous debate. He said a wrong impression was being created by members from Telangana that people from Andhra were cornering all the jobs.

However, he favoured implementation of the G.O. as well as the Presidential Order.

Reply sought

Opposition members sought a reply from Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy himself but Sports Minister M. Satyanarayana Rao responded. He announced that the Cabinet sub-committee, of which he was the chairman, would meet on December 28 after a committee of officials going into the Girglani committee's report submitted its report.

Charge denied

Denying the charge that the sub-committee had not met since March, he said there were as many as five meetings.

Earlier, Mr. Harish Rao charged the Chief Minister with being soft in implementing the order. S. Santosh Reddy (TRS) and P. Sashidhar Reddy (Janata) agreed with the Minister that the Chief Minister was indeed sincere about implementation of the GO.

They praised Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy for his massive initiative in executing so many irrigation projects at a time.