Union HRD Minister M.M. Pallam Raju, who has tendered his resignation over the Telangana issue, on Tuesday skipped the Union Cabinet meeting.
Mr. Raju along with three other Union Ministers from the Seemandhra region had on Monday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, requesting him to accept their resignations, but got no assurance from the latter.
The Minister has stayed away from his office ever since he stepped down last week. He had also skipped official engagements — including a meet with the principals of autonomous colleges — on Monday.
His close aides were unsure as to whether he would attend a programme at Rashtrapati Bhawan on Wednesday, where the President would confer awards on Tamil scholars.
The presence of Mr. Raju at the crucial Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) meeting in New Delhi on October 10 is also mired in uncertainty.
CABE, the highest decision making body on education in the country, is chaired by the HRD Minister, with state education ministers, academicians and other experts as members.
The meeting is expected to deliberate on a crucial report on the National Mission on Teachers and Teaching (NIMTT) and an update on the Mid-Day Meal programme.
Sources said Mr. Raju’s absence could hamper the meeting from arriving at any concrete proposals on these issues.
Officials in the Ministry, however, did not rule out the possibility of one of the ministers of state — Jitin Prasada and Shashi Tharoor — chairing the meeting.
