Centre not to grab Telangana CM powers

Hyderabad: After detailed discussions the Governor on Wednesday, Mr Rajnath Singh said the Centre had no intention of intervening in the state’s affairs but it would have to act if something went wrong. “We got your chief secretary’s letter stating that it was not possible to implement them (adhering to the Centre’s directions) and also communicating that your government is rejecting such directions from Centre, we will not further press on the subject and I hope that you take care of the situation there (Hyderabad),” he told the delegation.

“Our meeting with Rajnath Singh Ji has been very successful and fruitful, we have been assured that the Centre will not interfere in the affairs in the name of giving more powers to the Governor,” Dr K. Kesava Rao told newsmen after the meeting.

Mr Rajnath Singh, who had a brief interaction with newsmen, also said that the Centre would not try to encroach on the powers of the Chief Minister or the Cabinet. “We are only implementing the AP Reorganisation Act and will go strictly by the Act,” he said.

The TRS government’s concern is that the Centre should not go in for any formal mechanism to implement Section 8 of the Act or should not give directions and instructions to the Telangana state government especially on matters of postings and transfers of police officials in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts.

Section 8 of the Act clearly states that the decision of the Governor would be final, but he should consult and take the views of the Council of Ministers before exercising his discretion.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had recently said that there was nothing to object per se to the provisions of Section 8 of the Act but the Centre should not give powers to the Governor bypassing the legally established state government and its powers under Article 163. He had also observed that if the Centre was good to the state, he would also be good to the Centre.