EC imposes condition over Cabinet meeting in Telangana

EC imposes condition over Cabinet meeting in Telangana

The Election Commission on Sunday gave permission to the Telangana government to hold its Cabinet meeting but with a rider that it can only discuss urgent matters and not issues like crop loan waiver and that of Hyderabad as common capital.

The Cabinet meeting slated yesterday was postponed after the government did not receive the requisite permission from the Election Commission till 7pm in the evening. Chief minister A Revanth Reddy had convened the Cabinet meeting yesterday afternoon in order to discuss key issues like farm loan waiver scheme, paddy procurement, action plan for the ensuing Kharif season and other key issues related to farmers.

According to the letter sent by ECI today, only matters “which are of emergent nature and are to be implemented in a time bound schedule shall be taken up”. It further stated “Accordingly, the agenda items regarding issue on common capital of Hyderabad and crop loan waiver shall be deferred till completion of Lok Sabha elections, 2024 in Telangana.” The ECI’s letter also stated that no state government official involved in the conduct of elections will attend the Cabinet meeting.

As the model code of conduct was still in force even after polling got over on 13 May, the government had sought the EC’s permission for the meeting.

Chief minister Reddy had also decided to discuss the state formation day celebrations on June 2 and key issues between the two states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh under the AP Reorganization act, 2014 which have been kept pending 10 years after the bifurcation in the Cabinet meeting. Hyderabad will cease to be the common capital of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on 2 June, the tenth anniversary of the bifurcation. Even after ten years there are pending issues between the two states, particularly division of assets.