Minister Skips Crucial Cabinet Meet Prior to Assembly Session

Lately, Handlooms and Textiles Minister Dr P Shankar Rao has been hitting the headlines by making controversial statements against Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and other cabinet colleagues. "Ways and whims of Shankar Rao are difficult to explain. He is most unpredictable and can't be said what he will do or say the next moment," this is the general opinion cabinet colleagues have about him.

For reasons known better to him alone, Shankar Rao skipped the crucial cabinet meeting held at secretariat on Wednesday. According to sources, many cabinet ministers on Wednesday complained to the Chief Minister about Dr Shankar Rao's behaviour. The Chief Minister has reportedly assured the ministers that he would take up the matter with the Congress High Command.

The cabinet meeting was held yesterday in the wake of the upcoming winter session of the Assembly . At the meeting, the Chief Minister has reportedly asked his ministers to gear up to face tough questions related to drought situation in the State during the assembly session starting from Thursday. The cabinet also reviewed the conduct of second phase of Rachabanda programme and the Rajiv Yuva Kiranulu job scheme. But, the textiles minister was nowhere to be seen, as he busied himself with a meeting of all parties' floor leaders to discuss weaver's problems at the Lake View Guest House.