Pallam Raju's presence in CABE meeting uncertain

Uncertainty looms over the presence of HRD Minister M M Pallam Raju, who has resigned over Telengana issue, at the crucial CABE meeting tomorrow, which among others would deliberate on the status of the mid-day meal programme.

The Minister's close aides are uncertain over his presence at the meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), the highest decision making body on education in the country.

Raju has refused to join office ever since he resigned from the Union Council of Ministers and had also skipped the meeting of the Union Cabinet yesterday.

On Monday, Raju along with four other ministers from the Seemandhra region had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requesting him to accept their resignations but had got no assurance.

The CABE meeting, chaired by the HRD Minister, is attended by state education ministers, academicians and other experts.

The meeting is expected to deliberate on a crucial report on national mission on teachers and teaching and an update on the mid-day meal programme. Sources said Raju's absence could hamper the meeting from arriving at any concrete proposals on these issues.

Officials in the Ministry, however, did not rule out the possibility of one of the ministers of states -- Jitin Prasada or Shashi Tharoor -- chairing the meeting.

While he is staying put in his official residence, officials are chairing meetings on his behalf, as was the case yesterday when the higher education secretary chaired a meeting with the principals of autonomous colleges.

Several of his official engagements have been cancelled following his resignation, one of his staff members said.