ASSEMBLY POLL '98
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Crucial Inter-State Council meet to evolve consensus on Article 356

The crucial meeting of the newly constituted Inter-State Council will be held in New Delhi today to evolve consensus on safeguards to prevent the misuse of Article 356.

The meeting, to be held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, will also discuss the issue of devolution of more financial power to the states.

Chief ministers of all the states and several important central ministers including Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani, Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha and Law and Justice Minister Thambidurai will participate in the meeting, being held after a gap of one and half years.

The standing committee of the Inter-State Council failed to reach consensus on the safeguards although it agreed that there was no need to scrap the Article which gave emergency powers to the Centre to dismiss a state government in case of breakdown of the state machinery.

It was agreed that adequate safeguards should be provided to prevent its misuse.

The issue will be placed before the Inter-State Council for further deliberation.

UNI

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