Kata’s cut short tenure sparks media buzz  

Some people — no-nonsense dudes and dames to be precise — are known to carry a resignation letter in their pocket. Some others know in the heart of their hearts that they are not meant for the long haul, given their own abbreviated timelines for self-directed tasks against odds. At a press meet exactly a month ago, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Commissioner Amrapali Kata insinuated at the uncertainty of her tenure. When asked why GHMC was spending Rs 22 crore on a GIS survey amid the civic body’s mounting debts, staff demands for higher salaries, and other growing expenses, she said matter-of-factly: “Yes, the survey was originally slated to be completed in eighteen months, but I’m not confident I’ll still be in the department by then. Before I leave, I want to ensure the project is completed and deliver a never-before-seen initiative for the betterment of Hyderabad”. To put things in perspective, she added that many initiatives had been left unfinished, with the GIS survey being one of them. She is perhaps destined to do other things in Andhra Pradesh. The strange coincidence is that Visakhapatnam is listed as her ‘permanent address’, as per her own entry in UPSC form, though for correspondence purposes. Although she had dug in her heels in Telangana, her plea to be allowed to remain in the state has just been rejected by DoPT.  So, on hindsight, was her remark about her “uncertain future” in GHMC premonition or just wishful thinking?