MM Pallam Raju attends official engagement after long absence on Telengana issue

NEW DELHI: HRD Minister M M Pallam Raju, who had tendered his resignation to protest against the Union Cabinet's decision to create a separate state of Telangana, today attended an official engagement here along with top officials of his Ministry, ending a long spell of absence.

Raju had resigned early last month over the decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh and has kept away from his Ministry and official functions. His resignation has not been accepted by the Prime Minister.

The Minister had skipped the crucial Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) meet here on October 10, entrusting his officials to chair important engagements.

Officials are briefing him at his official residence in the national capital where he is going through the files.

Today, however, he turned up at a workshop on 'designs' here along with Higher Education Secretary Ashok Thakur and advisor to the PM Sam Pitroda, saying he was only addressing those seminars that "I feel are productive to me".

"I am going through a very different way of working myself. In reality I have quit being a minister, I have submitted my resignation to the Prime Minister which he has not accepted as yet, its been over a month.

"So I have found a new way of working. I work out of home now, have flexible timings," he told the gathering with a broad grin on his face.

Raju said though he has left the policy issues to Thakur, he was looking into the files "that I want to".

"I address the seminars that I feel are productive to me. So I have that luxury of having resigned and not yet out of the job," he said.

Sources said he is also expected to attend a meeting of the directors of National Institute of Technology (NITs) here tomorrow which would be chaired by President Pranab Mukherjee.