Andhra Cabinet sworn in again; Rosaiah assumes office

All the ministers of the erstwhile Cabinet of late chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy were sworn in on Sunday once again as required under the Constitution. They were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor ND Tiwari at a brief ceremony at Raj Bhavan here.

The ministers were sworn in as the Congress high command made it clear that the Congress Legislature Party meeting to elect a new leader in place of Reddy would be held only after the end of the seven-day mourning period.

The Cabinet later met under the chairmanship of chief minister K Rosaiah, who was sworn in after Reddy died in a chopper crash.

Rosaiah, assumed office at Secretariat on Saturday. He is operating from D Block, from where he used to function as finance minister.

Addressing the Secretariat employees, Rosaiah said he had accepted chief ministership as per the wishes of the Congress high command. The decision was taken to ensure that no vacuum was created after Rajasekhara Reddy passed away. He said he had already given a letter to the Governor on continuing with the same Cabinet.

Rosaiah urged the employees and the officials to work for achieving the goals set by the former chief minister. He also appealed to the grief stricken masses not to resort to suicides. “There is an unfulfilled agenda before us. Suicide is not an answer to it,” he said. The employees attended the duties wearing black badges to mourn the death of former chief minister.

The government would give Rs 10 lakh each to the families of those died along with Reddy in the chopper crash. They include Reddy’s personal secretary Subramanyam, chief security officer Wesley pilot Sunil Kumar Bhatia and co-pilot Satyanarayana Reddy. A member from each family would also be given a government job apart from other support, Rosaiah said.

Meanwhile, Congress Members of Legislative Council unanimously passed a resolution demanding YS Jaganmohan Reddy, son of former chief minister, be appointed as chief minister with KVP Ramachandra Rao as adviser. They would present a memorandum to this effect to the Congress high command after the mourning period is over.

However, Jaganmohan Reddy appealed to the Congress leaders and party functionaries not to launch any campaign or indulge in public demonstrations in this regard.