Hyderabad: A day after sacking seven chief advisers and advisers, the state government on Sunday fired 56 chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of various corporations, who were appointed by the previous BRS government. They were removed as they continued to stick to their posts despite a change of government.
Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari issued the sacking orders.
Former chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao had appointed BRS leaders, who could not be accommodated in the Cabinet or were denied tickets to contest Assembly or Lok Sabha elections due to caste and political considerations. In some instances, these nominated posts were held out as bait to lure leaders of rival parties into the BRS fold.
Incidentally, some chairpersons were given cabinet rank and paid Rs four lakh per month, including allowances, while those without cabinet rank drew a monthly salary of Rs one lakh. Additionally, the government appointed personal secretaries, and personal assistants officers on special duty who are associates of politicians besides providing them a car, driver, and phone connection.
Meanwhile, there is a big demand for these nominated posts in the Congress, which has just come to power. Among them are party faithful, who had to make way for BRS and BJP leaders, who had joined the Congress ahead of the Assembly polls and were given tickets.
Many Congress old-timers had rebelled at the denial of tickets after which the party promised them nominated posts and sought their cooperation.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is planning to fill these nominated posts keeping in mind the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
