Special Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao seems to have cultivated the art of persuasion to such levels that he could opportunely bring about the much-needed thaw in the frosty relations between the Raj Bhavan and Pragati Bhavan. Known to be a tough taskmaster, he has mastered the tricks of the trade and knows how to get at least the essential work of his department done against odds. Ramakrishna Rao went along with Minister Prashanth Reddy to invite Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan to deliver the budget speech. During that brief official interaction, he squeezed in his request to her that she must give her assent to certain bills that had been hanging fire. The Governor later gave assent to the GST Bill and the Appropriation Bills of the last two sessions, thereby avoiding a constitutional crisis. Noticeably, these Bills come under the Finance Department’s purview. He also attended the At Home hosted by the Raj Bhavan and was among the few IAS officers present. Bureaucratic circles are discussing how “his work is done” and how his presence at the Raj Bhavan was key to get the Governor’s assent to the crucial bills.
Lone, but not lonely at Raj Bhavan
One could be an odd one out even in the thick of fraternal or sororal gatherings. Shailaja Ramaiyer, who has been awaiting posting for about 10months after being moved under a cloud, made a special appearance during the International Women’s Day celebrations at the Raj Bhavan. She was the only bureaucrat to be present there. The 1997 batch IAS officer was the Secretary of the Industries and Commerce Department (Handlooms, Textiles, and Handicrafts) before being shifted. Before her stint as Secretary — a portfolio held by Minister K T Rama Rao — she had served as the Commissioner of Textiles. While her transfer without posting was speculated to be linked to her political leanings, her singular appearance at the Raj Bhavan created a buzz in bureaucratic circles. For newbies, Shailaja is the wife of Sridhar Babu, Manthani Congress MLA. Whatever be the reason for the inordinate delay in her posting, looks like Shailaja got patient hearing and solace at the Raj Bhavan
Sridhar’s surprising career shift
After being Singareni Chairman for nearly eight years, N Sridhar is now preparing to attend an interview. A little bird told us that Sridhar is going to attend an interview for the post of NMDC chairman.The 1997 batch IAS officer was appointed in 2014 as Chairman & Managing Director of Singareni Collieries Company Limited. Due to extensions, he has continued in the post for more than eight years. Interestingly, Sridhar is a confidant of Chief Minister KChandrasekhar Rao. His career choice of exploring options now to shiftto the National Mineral Development Corporation, a central public sector undertaking, comes as surprise.
P V Sunil Kumar has the last laugh
While all eyes were on what action the Andhra Pradesh government would take against P V Sunil Kumar, the posting he eventually got has taken everyone by surprise. Bureaucratic circles are discussing how Sunil Kumar has had the last laugh at a time when official circles were expecting that he would be punished. Sunil has been posted as Director General of AP Disaster Response and Fire Services. For the unversed, Sunil Kumar is deemed to be Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy’s loyalist. Egged on by opposition parties’ criticism and complaints, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had directed the AP government to proceed against Sunil Kumar in a case relating to misuse of power by him to take revenge on certain opposition leaders.
Agonising wait for posting
For babus who choose not to toe a particular line, there can be no greater punishment than being made to wait indefinitely for posting. Some do get the elemental courtesy of being asked to report to the General Administration Department. But there are others who do not have even that option by virtue of their seniority. In AP, senior IPS officer AB Venkateswar Rao,even after fighting with the central government and launching legal battles, has not got a posting for three and half years now. Following a direction from the Court, AP government did give him a postfor some time, but within days put him in waiting. Likewise, IPS officer Madireddy Pratap, confidant of combined AP former chief minister late YS Rajasekhar Reddy, was initially given importance by the AP government. In view of complaints that, as MD of APIIC, he was not heeding industrialists; he was transferred as RTC MD. As RTC MD, he antagonised the minister concerned and other officials by his decisions. Six months back, he was moved without posting. He is still awaiting posting.
