T’gana goodies on hold as poll code kicks in?

HYDERABAD: The Election Commission’s decision to automatically enforce the model code of conduct as soon as an assembly is dissolved has jeopardised the implementation of certain populist schemes by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government headed by Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

In a circular on Thursday, the Election Commission categorically stated, quoting a 1994 ruling by the Supreme Court, that in states where assemblies are prematurely dissolved, the caretaker governments should merely carry on the day-to-day administration and desist from taking any major policy situation decisions.

According to this clause, the chief minister or ministers shall not sanction grants or payments out of discretionary funds, announce or promise any financial grants in any form; lay foundation stones for projects or schemes of any kind and make any promise of construction of roads, provision of drinking water facilities etc.

According to officials in the government, a bigger worry is the fate of two major populist schemes scheduled for implementation in the next two months: the distribution of more than 95 lakh sarees from October 12 to women as a festival gift on the occasion of Bathukamma and the scheme Rythu Bandhu to pay ₹4,000 per acre to each of 57.15 lakh farmers in 10,874 villages during the coming Rabi season in the second week of November.