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Naidu abstains from vital meeting

Special Correspondent

YSR had called meeting to finalise names of members of information panel

HYDERABAD: A crucial meeting convened by Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy to finalise the names of members of the State Information Commission could not be held on Thursday as Leader of the Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu abstained.

As Leader of the Opposition Mr. Naidu is a member of the three-member committee with other members being the Chief Minister and Finance Minister K. Rosaiah, which has to constitute the commission under the Right to Information Act.

A meeting of the committee was convened at 5 p.m. to shortlist the persons from among serving or retired IAS officers for the post of Chief Information Commissioner and 10 others from different walks of life as members.

A battery of mediapersons waited at the appointed time for Mr. Naidu's arrival but the leader did not turn up. Instead, he sent in a fax message seeking postponement of the meeting till October 31 and demanding to see the Government's proposal first. This left Dr. Reddy and Mr. Rosaiah high and dry but they agreed to the postponement saying they were doing so in the best traditions of democracy.

No other agenda

In his message, Mr. Naidu said the Chief Minister's Office had failed to furnish the meeting's agenda along with details of the proposed names despite continuous persuasion by his office. Dr. Reddy immediately dashed off his reply stating that the timing was fixed only after ascertaining his availability. There could be no other agenda for such a meeting except considering the names.

Mr. Naidu attended a similar meeting recently to choose the Chairman and members of the State Human Rights Commission but left in protest saying that he was only shown a copy of the names finalised for the commission.

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