The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Protocol row comes to an end

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Sunday, Jun 26, 2011
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Protocol row comes to an end

Special Correspondent

M. Shashidhar Reddy

HYDERABAD: The row over the protocol to be accorded to Marri Sashidhar Reddy, Congress legislator from Sanathnagar and Vice-Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has been settled finally with the State government issuing orders that he be treated on a par with a Union Cabinet Minister.

The status to be accorded to Mr. Reddy was a bone of contention, with the then government merely recognising him as a legislator even when he functioned as a member of the NDMA. An NDMA member, according to the Central Table of Precedence, is to be given the status of a Deputy Chief Minister in the State, but the then Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ensured that he did not get any such official status.

That the Sanathnagar legislator did not see eye to eye with late Rajasekhara Reddy was an open secret.

The government had later issued orders treating Mr. Sashidhar Reddy as equivalent to a Minister in the State Cabinet after K. Rosaiah took over as the Chief Minister.

Subsequently, Mr. Reddy was elevated to the position of the Vice-Chairman of NDMA.

His current office is listed under Article (7) in the Central Table of Precedence and carries the status of a Union Cabinet Minister in the State Warrant of Precedence as well.

After the NDMA wrote to the State government after his elevation as Vice-Chairman, an order was issued by the Chief Secretary on June 22 that Mr. Sashidhar Reddy be treated as equal to a visiting Union Minister.

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