The State Cabinet meeting held after a gap of almost two months on Friday witnessed Panchayat Raj Minister K. Jana Reddy questioning the government’s ‘silence’ and efforts to tackle the strike by the employees for over a month.
Belying the expectations that there could be possible showdown between the Telangana and Seemandhra Ministers over the issue of division of the State following Congress Working Committee decision last month, the close to two-hour-long meeting presided over by Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy was a smooth affair.
Six Ministers from Seemandhra – Ganta Srinivasa Rao, Galla Aruna Kumari, C. Ramachandraiah, Ahmedullah, T.G.Venkatesh and Erasu Pratap Reddy did not attend the meeting.
Geetha Reddy, Danam skip meet
Minister for Major Irrigation J.Geetha Reddy, who was named in a Central Bureau of Investigation charge-sheet in the Jagan assets case, skipped the meeting while Danam Nagender, who is abroad, did not come.
Sources said Mr. Jana Reddy, apparently speaking on behalf of his colleagues from the region, expressed concern that little efforts were being made to resolve the strike by APNGOs.
He sought to impress upon the Chief Minister that there was apprehension among a section of the people that the on going agitation in Seemandhra region had the backing of the government.
“Government programmes have come to a standstill for over a month. We expect the government to act and resolve the issue. We also want the Chief Minister to give the go ahead for conducting Rachaband programmes in Telangana,” he was quoted as telling the meeting.
GoM meeting
The Chief Ministeris understood to have said that the government was following the same rules for all employees.
He said that the Group of Ministers was expected to hold a meeting with the employees later in the day to find an amicable solution to the issue.
Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy also hinted that ‘Rachabanda’ could be organised next month in Telangana.
‘No set of rules’
Minister for Primary Education S. Sailajanath reportedly said that there were no set of rules in handling the agitation. He is said to have remarked that a similar situation prevailed when Telangana employees resorted to ‘Sakala Janula Samme’ last year.
A Minister from Telangana told The Hindu that they were keen on organising Rachabanda programmes in their respective districts.
“Why is it that the programmes are not being organised in Telangana region. When there was general strike in this part of the State, Chief Minister himself participated in programmes in Seemandhra region,” he pointed out.
