Cabinet status to political appointees not unlawful: Telangana

Hyderabad: The Telangana state government on Saturday told the Hyderabad High Court that it had discretionary powers to accord Cabinet status to political appointees.

The government was responding to a query from the division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt, which had asked for the provision of law under which it had accorded sanction to 14 persons who were appointed advisers, Special Representatives of the government at Delhi, corporation chairmen including the chairman of the Press Academy.

The bench was hearing a PIL filed by Congress MP Gutta Sukhender Reddy challenging the state’s action in according Cabinet ranks to political appointees. The petitioner contended that Article 164 (1A) of the Constitution limits the size of the Cabinet to 15 per cent of the strength of the Assembly. Conferring Cabinet rank on persons who are not ministers violated the Article, the MP said.

Chief secretary Rajiv Sharma in the state government’s counter affidavit told the court that conferring Cabinet rank is an usual practices adopted by various governments. The erstwhile AP government had also accorded Cabinet rank to its advisers, he said.

The aim of the government in according Cabinet status to persons other than ministers was meant to provide a effective administration, he said.

The CS told the court that the appointees who were conferred Cabinet rank were experts in their respective fields. They were neither appointed under Article 164 of the Constitution nor were they part of the Cabinet.