The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Zonal system: Diwakar's remarks trigger row

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 06, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Zonal system: Diwakar's remarks trigger row

Special Correspondent

TRS urges Chief Minister to sack the Minister

HYDERABAD : The BJP, the TRS and the CPI (M) have taken strong exception to Panchyat Raj Minister J.C. Diwakar Reddy's remarks writing off the zonal system in the State as of no use.

BJP State president N. Indrasena Reddy told newsmen that Mr. Reddy was free to make such controversial statements after resigning from the Cabinet.

The BJP leader held the Minister responsible for whipping up regional sentiments. He did so after the High Court asked the Government to go ahead with the zonal system and the Cabinet gave its nod to the Girglani Commission report on lapses in implementation of Government Order 610. In fact, the GO was issued to set right the inadequacies in the zonal system and the six-point formula.

After so much had been done, how could he talk like that as a responsible Minister? Mr. Indrasena Reddy asked.

He expressed doubts over Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's sincerity in implementing the Girglani Commission report as he took no steps to suppress the demand for Hyderabad being considered as a free zone.

TRS plea to YSR

At a separate news conference, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MLA Nayani Narasimha Reddy asked Dr. Reddy to sack the Minister. By making such remarks, the Minister did not appear to have held the Cabinet or the Chief Minister in high esteem.

The TRS leader urged Dr. Reddy to take steps to quell the voice against implementation of the commission report if he was to come out clean on the issue. Otherwise, the TRS would have reason to believe that the Cabinet decision was taken on the basis of Court order. It would form an opinion that the Government was not committed to implementing the report and plan out an agitation accordingly.

`Congress culture'

CPI (M) State secretary B.V. Raghavulu said the remarks of the Minister reflected the typical Congress culture. There was no need to be surprised over them as no one was sure how Congress leaders would react to a situation.

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