REPORTERS’ DIARY Why Govt Whip bats for PROs of his caste in CMO

Compliant journalists, against whom hardly anyone would have reservations, often chose to become or are recommended as Public Relations Officers or Media Advisors to Prime Minister, Chief Minister or Ministers at both state and central levels. What beats the fraternity of Telangana journalists now is that politicos have started demanding virtually caste-based reservation for PROs in the Chief Minister’s Office. The other day, Government Whip Beerla Ilaiah openly demanded at his chamber on the premises of the Assembly that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy should give certain positions, including two PRO posts in CMO, to persons belonging to his caste. The other positions in which he wants to see members from his caste are those of a Minister, TPCC president, TPCC working president, MLC, Government Advisor and at least five Corporation chairmen. Although there are five PROs in CMO, none of them belongs to his caste, according to Beerla Ilaiah. He says he can keep tabs on the goings-on in the CMO if a PRO belonging to his caste is appointed. His wish list springs from his belief that his caste has no ‘representation’ in the Congress government. A scribe commented, if every caste has to be so ‘represented’, just imagine the number of posts they have to create at all levels and in all departments!