Date:18/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/18/stories/2008051853930400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Chief Secretary tenders formal apology to EC

Special Correspondent

CEC admonishes him for treating CEO and other poll officials as a government department

HYDERABAD: Chief Secretary P. Ramakantha Reddy tendered a written apology to the Election Commission on Saturday for his order which was considered by the EC as an infringement upon its functioning as an independent Constitutional body.

Mr. Reddy also issued another order withdrawing the earlier one that was responsible for the controversy. The apology letter and the order were faxed to the commission on Saturday evening.

Through the earlier order dated May 9, Mr. Reddy directed that any correspondence addressed to the Election Commission by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) and the Collectors of 10 districts seeking exemption from model code of conduct to be routed through him.

The Chief Secretary’s apology is a fall out of his meeting with Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswamy in New Delhi on Friday when the latter reportedly admonished him for treating the CEO and other election officials as a government department instead of as an extension of the commission. Naveen B. Chawla, S. Y. Quraishi, both Commissioners of the commission, and I V. Subba Rao, CEO, were present.

Violations

The Commission also referred to “poor track record” of successive Andhra Pradesh governments in implementing model code during elections.

The violations cited included open display of ballot paper by Women Welfare Minister N. Rajyalakshmi during the MLC elections, announcement by Energy Minister Mohd. Ali Shabbir about scrapping of energy pilferage cases and the remarks by Agriculture Minister N. Raghuveera Reddy against the commission.

Serious note

The EC also took serious note of the decisions announced by Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy to enhance the income limit to issue white ration cards, and supply red-gram dal and palm oil at reduced prices from June 1 to white ration cardholders.

It told Mr. Ramakanth Reddy that the announcements/decisions had achieved the intended benefit by influencing the voters, though slated for implementation later.

The election commissioners appeared to have closed the lid on these matters as it advised the Chief Secretary to see that no further violations were resorted to hereafter at least.