Finance Secretary goes on leave, raises eyebrows

Amid a huge pile of debts contracted by the previous government and the half a dozen formidable promises made by the new government in Telangana, Finance Secretary Ramakrishna Rao is undoubtedly on the hot seat of core administration. Yet, he has now proceeded on leave, ostensibly due to health reasons, raising many eyebrows and one obvious question: “Is the state’s fiscal position beginning to tell on his health?” His leave comes at a time when the Finance Department is buzzing with hyper-anxious visitors who are after the release of their pending bills and other dues. Bureaucratic circles are discussing in a hush-hush manner whether Ramakrishna Rao’s leave is due to covert pressure from politicians or overt pressure from contractors. In any case, the developments in the Finance Department over the next few weeks will be keenly watched, given the committed timeline of implementation of outlay-rich promises made by the Congress government.