The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Kanda, Shashidhar Reddy in disaster management body

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Friday, Aug 26, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Kanda, Shashidhar Reddy in disaster management body

Special Correspondent

Ordinance promulgated to allow MLA to become member

HYDERABAD: The Chief Secretary, Mohan Kanda, will be the member-secretary and the Congress MLA from Sanathnagar, M. Shashidhar Reddy, member of the National Disaster Management Authority. Both will enjoy Minister of State rank.

Constituting such an authority to tackle disaster relief and rehabilitation has been on the anvil for quite some time but the Centre took the first concrete step by drafting a Bill this March to give it statutory backing. Even as the Bill is awaiting passage in Parliament, the Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, had declared that the authority would be created through an executive order.

The Prime Minister is chairman of the NDMA and the former Army Chief, N.C. Vijj, deputy chairman of the seven-member body, which will have the same status as the Planning Commission. Mr. Kanda is slated to retire soon.

The Andhra Pradesh Government promulgated an ordinance on Wednesday to facilitate Mr. Shashidhar Reddy to become a member of the authority. Under the law, an MLA cannot hold an office of profit unless his name is included in the list of offices exempt from it. The ordinance seeks to exempt the NDMA membership from the law. Mr. Reddy, who is planning to shift to New Delhi as his new assignment involves full-time work, said, "It is an honour for me."

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