Law & order focus of Cabinet meet today

Vijayawada: The State cabinet will be holding a crucial session on Wednesday. The meeting is likely to focus more on the law-and-order situation in the wake of recent incidents of atrocities on young girls and some cases of rape of minor children and efforts being made by some media organisations to defame the government by spreading false news and trolling of even the Home Minister Angalapudi Vanitha.

On Monday, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan made strong remarks over the incidents of crime against women and asked the Home Minister, police and Collectors to take stern action against the culprits as well as social media activists.

The Government feels that a section of the media was deliberately indulging in spreading false news. It will also review the action taken by police in such cases as Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has been saying that he will create terror among the criminals. The government feels that the police also need to instill fear among the criminals. The issue of setting up fast-track courts is likely to be discussed. This needs the nod of the High Court. It may also discuss people’s participation by creating ‘Maitri Committees’, to help the police in curbing crime. Another important issue that is likely to be discussed is how the YSRCP chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had acquired land for the Saraswati Power project which never materialised. Pawan Kalyan is likely to mention this issue during the cabinet meeting. On Tuesday, he visited the areas where Jagan had acquired the land.

He said that in 2009 in Vemavaram Chennaipalem village of Machavaram Mandal land was taken from the farmers on lease for 30 years and Jagan as the CM extended it for another 50 years. There are instances of forceful acquisition of land, alleged Pawan Kalyan. He further said 400 acres of forest land was converted as revenue land during the YSRCP regime. Pawan Kalyan directed the district collector to take up a detailed probe and submit a report as to why the project failed to take off. Based on the report further action would be initiated.

Another important issue that may come up for discussion is the new sports policy and industrial policy. After the officials’ agenda, a detailed discussion on the measures that need to be taken to highlight the developmental activities in the state and contain the growing negative campaign by the opposition and the media run by them on incidents of crime. This would be possible only when the police act in a toughest manner, the government feels.