Andhra Pradesh State advisers resign

Hyderabad: The lack of a uniform policy on government advisors and their proper treatment has been leading to a slew of resignations. P.K. Srivastava, advisor, rail transport, and C.S. Rao, advisor, Finance, submitted their resignations to chief secretary S.P. Tucker recently. The government asked them both to continue for some more time, and Mr Srivastava may do so upon the request of two senior officials. Retired IAS officer P.K. Agarwal, advisor, Neeru-Chettu (Water and Tree) programme had also resigned sometime ago.

The government has been according Cabinet status to some advisors. To those to whom it has not given this status, it has been providing all the facilities on par with advisors who were given a Cabinet rank. Retired IAS officer P.K.  Agarwal was appointed advisor, irrigation department; he had worked there for nine years before retiring. Later though, the government gave him only the implementation of Neeru-Chettu programme, about which he had expressed his displeasure and resigned.  

P.K. Srivatsava was assured that he would be be paid an honorarium of Rs 2 lakh per month with a Cabinet rank before his appointment as advisor, rail transport. However, the state government is paying him only Rs 1 lakh per month. He was not given a Cabinet rank nor proper staff in the office, there being no uniform policy being followed in staff allotment too.  

A senior IAS officer pointed out that the state government has to adopt a uniform policy on all aspects, from paying honorarium to providing facilities, such as staff, vehicles and office accommodation. Some advisors, for example, were not allotted the latter. Mr Srivatsava felt slighted by the government not  giving him any importance, denying him a cabinet rank and staff too.  He said in his resignation letter that he was resigning due to personal reasons. Sources close to Mr Srivatsava said that he was rethinking his decision.