Telangana Government has reportedly put on hold the decision to nominate member of Anglo Indian community to the Legislative Assembly.
The file pertaining to nomination of a member of the community was sent to Governor E. S. L. Narasimhan recently. The Government decided to recommend the name of Royden Roach as the nominated MLA after a social activist, Maureen Hatch, sent a wrong bio-data.
Though, the actual choice of the TRS Government was Ms Maureen Hatch, her mistake of sending the wrong bio-date cost her chance to become Member of the Legislative Assembly. The Governor, who found discrepancy in the file forwarded by the State Government, sent it back to the Government.
The State Cabinet then decided to clear the name of Royden Roach, an industrialist, who was abroad for some time and returned to the city. He claimed that he was a TRS activist.
Sources in the Anglo Indian Community maintained that objections were raised over his nomination forcing the Government to defer a final decision on the issue. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is said to have enquired with his office on the nomination but was told to keep the decision on hold.
It is understood that the All-India Anglo Indian Association, Hyderabad branch, had sent a letter to the Government protesting the nomination while the Federation of Anglo Indian Association of India is in the process of sending its objection.
Sources in the community pointed out that very little was known about Mr. Roach except for the fact that his family hailed from Bhadrachalam. He had gone to Dubai and returned to the city recently. “His selection came as a surprise to the community and many tried to make enquiries,” sources said.
Names of Gerard Charles Carr, treasurer of Federation of Anglo Indian Association of India, Warren La Touché and Elvis Stephenson, president and vice-president of All India Anglo Indian Association, Hyderabad branch, did rounds initially. Former MLAs - Christine Lazarus and Della Godfrey’s names too figured briefly but their affiliation to Congress and the TDP went against them, sources said.
The Anglo India community in Telangana is close to 10,000 with half of them settled in Hyderabad. There is small presence of the community in Kazipet, Warangal, Sangareddy, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Khammam and Palvancha.
