Hyderabad

Aug. 29: While amending the Andhra Pradesh Societies Registration Act 2001, the state government has followed the footsteps of its neighbour, Tamil Nadu, which too had amended its Societies Act.

The AP government was particularly inspired after the TN legislation was upheld as legitimate by the Madras High Court. “In the K.V. George vs TN Government case, amendments to 34A and 34B sections were ratified by the court,” informed a senior official in the law department. The state government had been cornered by entire Opposition in the Assembly on Friday when it introduced the Bill.

This forced it to take a second look at the Bill, but officials said that the state was on extremely strong ground legally. “The Central government, with not even single rupee share in Satyam Computers, had superseded the board and appointed its own directors,” said Mr D.A. Somayajulu, advisor to the government. “Was that a violation of the Constitution?”

The ministry of corporate affairs had invoked section 388 of the Companies Act to supersede the Satyam Board, he pointed out. Further, the AP Education Act.1982 also allows taking over an educational institution in case of irregularities and violation of certain human rights.

The minister for law, Mr Gade Venkata Reddy, clarified that the government had the duty of protecting the general public from any form of fraud and irregularity. He dismissed allegations that the amendment to the Societies Registration Act was aimed at taking over all the societies.