Telangana opposes policing power in guv's hands

The Telangana government has decided to oppose leaving the power of maintaining law and order in the common capital for 10 years with the governor. 

The Union Home Ministry has sought the state government’s opinion on the matter. The ministry’s communique, said to have reached the government on Sunday has proposed a board with the commissioners of police of Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts which will directly report to the governor. 

The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has argued that the governor will have to take decisions only after a formal request comes from the Telangana Cabinet and it has the right to appoint police commissioners who will directly report to the state government. 

Addressing party MPs ahead of the Budget Session here on Sunday, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao asked them to vehemently oppose the Centre’s move to hand over law and order to the governor.

“Telangana government is fully capable of protecting the lives of its people and we must highlight the efforts of AP CM to usurp that power from our hands,” Rao said. He also urged his MPs to oppose the ordinance, merging seven Telangana mandals into Andhra Pradesh to facilitate the Polavaram project.