Date:12/06/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/12/stories/2008061259740300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

New SCB members seek divine intervention to stay in office

To make sure their dream of a full tenure comes true

HYDERABAD: The eight newly-elected representatives of the civilian wards of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) will be sworn in as members on Thursday. An official gazette notification from the Defence Ministry was received on Tuesday evening paving the way for the oath taking ceremony. But, before they proceed to the SCB office to take oath, members are going to participate in religious rituals early in the morning to keep bad omen at bay. The members including prospective Vice-President of the Board J. Pratap, are said to take part in the worship to pray for a full tenure!

Past experience

They have a reason to be apprehensive considering that the last elected Board was truncated within four months after being sworn in!

“Last time we were sworn in during ‘Amavasya’ and we lost our posts within no time. This time we do no want to take any chances,” confessed a veteran three-time member.

Tomorrow too is not an auspicious day but the members – six owing allegiance to Congress Party and two to Telugu Desam Party, were left with no choice.

Court case

Among the reasons are the President of the Board and Andhra Sub-Area Commander D.S.C.V. Varma is slated to go out of station for a few days. Besides, the members were not prepared to delay the process any further just in case as there is already a talk that the latest polls too could face the same action as the previous due a pending court case in M.P. over eligibility of voters.

While all that is a subject of debate, tomorrow’s swearing in is expected to be attended by area MP S. Satyanarayana and MLA G. Sayanna as special invitees.

Along with the elected representatives, eight military and civilian officials too would be taking the oath to form the 14-member full Board for the first time as it was seven-seven till last time before delimitation of wards happened.

The Board will hold office for a period of five years.The 12th special meeting of SCB is also likely to clear regularisation of plots in layouts where gifted sale deeds were not submitted.