Hyderabad: The Telangana Cabinet Sub-Committee examining the Union Government’s proposed legislation to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has favoured reaching out to Karnataka and Kerala to explore coordinated legal and political action.
The Sub-Committee, chaired by Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, proposed consultations with the Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Kerala to assess whether the two States would be willing to pursue a common legal strategy or other coordinated measures to protect the powers and financial interests of the States.
Panchayat Raj Minister D Anasuya attended the meeting in person, while Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao and Employment Minister G Vivek Venkataswamy participated virtually.
Legal experts informed the committee that they had identified multiple constitutional issues that could form the basis of a challenge before the Supreme Court. The Cabinet panel received suggestions from nearly 20 civil society organisations.
The committee decided that the State Legal Department should thoroughly examine the issue before any final decision is taken. It also decided to place the issue before the State Cabinet on July 2.
The Cabinet is expected to take a final decision on whether Telangana should adopt the Central framework, enact its own legislation, approach the Supreme Court, or pursue a combination of legal and administrative measures.
