Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Monday Mirchi: Long-standing babus on the radar now

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All along, the Telangana State versus Centre confrontation has been confined to politicians. But now there are whispers in the corridors of power that certain bureaucrats, deemed to be performing so well that they have not been moved for years, also could face the music soon. There are indications from Delhi corridors that some of the old files are being reopened for a fresh look at the roles played by some of the associates of top politicians.

The hush-hush discussion now is on not only whether the impending danger is coming in the form of raids or movements but also who are all going to be impacted. The buzz is that some of the long-standing officers are likely to face the heat. Some circles say those who have been serving in the same post for seven years now could be on the radar. For latecomers, the TS Chief Minister’s Office has been intact for eight years now without any major change.

DGP faces heat of parting shots

All good things come to an end; still, an accomplished person may not like parting shots that hurt. TS Director-General of Police is all set to retire with some major achievements, including the record of longest-serving DGP and curbing Maoists with an iron hand. With practically no blot on his escutcheon, Mahender Reddy epitomized a person whose article of faith is: “action speaks louder than words”. Despite being in the coveted post, he has scrupulously avoided media glare. Even the wedding of his child mirrored his own simplicity. His work ethic had earned effusive praise from Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao during the inaugural of the Command Control Center. It is a different matter that he was not given an extension.However, at the fag end of his career, the DGP was at the receiving end over the IBS ragging case, which had attracted nationwide attention.A little bird told us that the second powerful politician of Telangana had vented his ire over the police not registering FIR on time and acting promptly. That apart, opposition parties came down heavily on the police for the attack on Nizamabad MP Dharmapuri Arvind’s house. Nonetheless, Mahender Reddy leaves his mark in Telangana policing.

Surfeit of advisors

Andhra Pradesh is witnessing a surfeit of advisors. There is literally a flood of advisors not just for the state government but also many of its departments.  Even departments like social welfare are jumping on the bandwagon and hiring advisors. When the Endowments Department appointed an advisor, the High Court struck it down. Amidst pervasive grouse that regular advisors have little or no work, the corridors of power would have a tough time explaining what the additional advisors would be doing.The roles of the new hires, being quasi advisory in nature, have caused confusion as to who is working and on whose advice. Duty-minded IAS officers are pissed off with the unnecessary appointments, especially because they have to handle regular politicians and these advisors have political background or leanings. For newbies, in August, the High Court said if we leave it like this, the government may appoint an advisor even to the Advocate General.

Poonam angling for CS post

Special Chief Secretary Poonam Malakondaiah is a happy person these days. Her joy is reflected in her day-to-day conversations with peers. Noticeably, the IAS officer has been telling her colleagues that, given her loyalty to Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy, her chances of becoming the Chief Secretary are bright. Bureaucrat circles discussing the potential new Chief Secretary see Poonam’s statements as angling for CS post, especially in the wake of the Chief Minister’s decision to drop all charges pending against her. However, many more loyalists are also in the race for the CS post; so, naturally all of them are keeping their fingers crossed.

Official goes beyond the call of duty

Most bureaucrats are known for their insensitivity to burning issues facing the public. However, a few babus go beyond the call of duty to help people at the individual or community level; and such officials are always held in high esteem, regardless of their place of posting. Khammam Collector VP Gautham belongs to this ilk. When he was Collector of Mahabubabad district, he came to know that one Anil, a specially-abled student, had dropped out after studying up to ninth class as his parents, being daily wage workers, could not afford his studies any longer. Gautham stood by the poor student and helped him financially to continue his studies. That is not all. Even after being transferred to Khammam, he kept tabs on the student. Anil is now pursuing his degree course. He recently met Gautham in Khammam. Gautham assured Anil that he would continue to get support in his further studies.

-Yours truly

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