The constitution barred the practice of according cabinet status to as many MLAs as the seat of authority likes. The provision under Art (164) 1A of the constitution does not enable any authority to confer cabinet status on more than 15 per cent of the strength of legislative assembly.
However, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao revived the appointment of `Cabinet Secretaries’ he accorded cabinet rank, besides several retired officials and politicians appointing them as government advisers. Very recently former Congress MP G Vivek and retired Chief Secretary Rajiv Sarma were appointed as advisers with cabinet rank.
TDP’s `fire brand’ MLA and Telangana working president A Revanth Reddy raised this issue questioning the propriety of providing cabinet rank to several MLAs. According to him, as per the strength of 119 members in Telangana assembly, as many as 18 may be accorded cabinet rank. Already chief minister and his cabinet, numbering 18 are having cabinet rank. So, he said that cabinet rank accorded to 18 others is illegal and violating High Court directive.
He urged the Governor ESL Narasimhan and Chief Secretary Pradeep Chandra to initiate action and implement High Court orders in this regard. He accused that the government perpetrated constitutional violence till date which is clear and wilful disobedience of the orders
Earlier, on his persuasion the High Court had issued orders giving stay of operation and further operation of the impugned GO 173 in May last year through which the state government had appointed legislators of the ruling party as parliamentary secretaries. A division bench of the High Court has issued orders removing the cabinet status for those who were given cabinet status over and above 15 per cent of the legislature strength. The High Court even directed to recover the amount drawn as allowances by some ruling party MLAs from the date of High Court judgement.
Revanth Reddy deplored despite clear directions from the high court, several functionaries of the ruling party are continuing in the state government with the status of cabinet rank and they are paid and allowed to draw allowances from the public exchequer claiming that status.
