Center convenes a meet on powers to Governor

HYDERABAD: Even as Telangana government is bitterly opposing the proposal of investing the governor with the administrative powers on law and order in Hyderabad, the Union Home Ministry is learnt to have called a meeting of the chief secretaries of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to discuss the same with them on Thursday in Delhi.

According to sources, during the meeting, which is scheduled to take place on Thursday in the national capital, the Union Home Ministry wants to gather the views of both the governments on relevant sections of the AP Reorganisation Act-2014, which confers policing powers in Hyderabad on the governor.

Apart from higher officials of the Home department, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to take part in the meeting.

During the crucial meeting, the Union Home department is likely to clarify with regard to the powers that would vest with the governor on issues pertaining to law and order in Hyderabad as long as it remain as common capital of both AP and Telangana.

This meeting assumes significance as it is taking place at a time when the T-government is strongly opposing the Union Home Ministry's circular that was recently sent to the chief secretary of Telangana, seeking government's views on setting up a common police board to oversee the law and order in Hyderabad.

Interestingly, the circular was sent by the Union government soon after AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi pleading with him to invoke relevant sections in the Reorganisation Act to empower governor on issues concerning law and order of Hyderabad to protect the rights of Seemandhra people.

In that circular, the Centre proposed to keep the powers on law and order in the city with governor for the ten year period, during which Hyderabad will act as common capital of both the States.

As per the circular, the police commissioners of Hyderabad and Cyberabad and Superintendent of Police of Ranga Reddy will have to give the Governor periodic reports on the situation of law and order in the city. If the proposals of the Centre are implemented as it is, the governor will have the right to review all the decisions taken by T-government relating to Hyderabad's law and order.

The circular also proposed to set up a dedicated cell to be headed by an officer of IG rank in order to check hate crime.

Though the T-government is opposing this proposal, the argument of the Union Home department is that as Hyderabad is the common capital of both the States for ten years, this mechanism is needed to protect the interests of Seemandhra people, living in the city.

The T-government's contention is that the Centre's proposals amounts to infringing upon the democratic rights of the Telangana State. It also argue that such type of mechanism is against the federal spirit of the Constitution.

'Law and order is a State subject. Hence, the Centre cannot take away this from the State undermining the rights of Telangana State,' said Telangana IT Minister KT Rama Rao.

DRIVING HOME THE POINT

Home department likely to clarify on powers that would vest with governor on issues pertaining to law and order in Hyderabad

Apart from higher officials, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to take part in the meeting

The meeting assumes significance as T-govt is opposing the circular that was sent to the CS of Telangana