The latest political fad in Telangana isn't about governance or policy — it’s about books. But don’t expect literature; these ‘books’ are more of a warning ledger, tracking perceived political vendettas, and throwing a shade at those in the we-are-gonna-get-you-if-you-don't-do-our-bidding lists.
The latest political fad in Telangana isn't about governance or policy — it’s about books. But don’t expect literature; these ‘books’ are more of a warning ledger, tracking perceived political vendettas, and throwing a shade at those in the we-are-gonna-get-you-if-you-
New babus get the Revanth jab
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has sent shockwaves through bureaucratic circles with an unprecedented public outburst against new IAS and IPS officers. In a meeting telecast live, he openly criticised the current generation of bureaucrats, accusing them of lacking integrity and public commitment. While praising legendary officers like T.N. Seshan and S.R. Sankaran for their values and guidance, Revanth slammed today's IAS officers for misleading politicians. "Earlier, officers used to correct our mistakes. Now, they encourage us to commit three if we commit one," he fumed. The CM didn't spare IPS officers either, accusing some of meddling in civil disputes and settlements while still in training. His sharpest jab? Accusing bureaucrats of being glued to their AC rooms instead of visiting the field. "Is sitting in AC rooms some kind of disease?" he asked. With transfers looming, Telangana's bureaucrats are now left wondering-who's next in the firing line?
Buses and autos, Ponnam in a jam
Transport minister Ponnam Prabhakar has found himself in a traffic jam of sorts, with TGRTC transport unions on the one side and autorickshaw drivers’ joint action committee on the other demanding that he fulfil the Congress' election promises to both groups. On their part, the unions say they are justified in asking Ponnam to keep the promises, but for the minister, caught between the poorly stocked state coffers, and the demands, the situation is something like a vehicle running on fumes in a traffic jam. The jam he is in does not appear to get cleared anytime soon.
The state of affairs in a political party is generally gauged by its enthusiasm for electoral scrapes. For BRS leaders in the state, the big question doing the rounds is just how in the pink the party’s health is. There is widespread worry and confusion with the BRS over the party staying out of the graduates and teachers MLC elections with none of its top leaders speaking up on the issue. This has come as an opportunity for some independent candidates who entered the fray for the Graduates constituency and claimed that they have support of the BRS. Nature abhors a vacuum and the goings-on indicate that the political vacuum with BRS playing coy, will be filled one way or the other.
In BRS, race to keep chair vacant
Protecting one's turf is not the easiest for an out-of-power politician. But it helps if family ties come into play. Such is the case in Huzurnagar constituency where the party does not have an in-charge, if local BRS leaders are anything to go by. A party leader with access to the top BRS leadership has been expending a fair bit of energy and power to keep it this way as Shanampudi Saidi Reddy, the former BRS MLA from Huzurnagar, is related to this particular leader, and if a BRS in-charge is put in place, then things may get dicey for him.
Wanted: Cooks to quell a storm
Chicken or egg? What first? At least on the plate? With the ongoing bird flu scare in AP, and demand for chicken meat and chicken eggs plummeting, the state government has decided to break the egg, so to speak, to make omelettes and sell, and show it is OK to consume well cooked chicken and eggs. So far avian influenza cases among poultry chickens have been found in East, and West Godavari, Eluru and NTR districts. To get people to the free food events, the animal husbandry department is apparently on the lookout for some good cooks and chefs who can whip up an egg, or a tasty chicken dish in a jiffy. Officials aren't crowing about it yet but are hoping they can turn things around for the poultry industry before the chickens come home to roost for the government.
Kerfuffle over YSRC arrest
It's all in the mind, or so the saying goes and at least one minister in AP appears to have taken this to heart. Minister Gummadi Sandhyarani has been pegging away at former chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy questioning his state of mind, and at one point even offering financial aid to Jagan's family from the CM Relief Fund for treatment to whatever mental issues Sandhyarani perceived the former CM may be troubled with. In the latest salvo she shot off at Jagan, she said he had lost his grip on reality following his comments on the arrest of YSRC leader Vallabhaneni Vamsi. A sarcastic jab from Jagan that Chandrababu Naidu and Lokesh would not resist Vamsi's charm, was enough to set off Sandhyarani's latest outburst at Jagan.
Did AP tahsildar own 400 acres?
A tahsildar with 400 acres to his name? This discovery recently shook the revenue department in Visakhapatnam when it was found that the Aadhaar card number of a tahsildar, who passed away last year, was attached to 400 acres of assigned land in Pendurthi mandal. When the 400 acre information reached the CM's office, promptly came a query seeking an explanation how this was allowed. First the local officials attributed it to 'mischief' by a computer operator. This was not good enough for the CMO, which sought a deeper probe. As things stand, the explanation is that the late tahsildar put his Aadhaar number in the records as he probably did not have the details of the rightful land owners. Incidentally, the lands are worth some `2,000 crore.
Getting things done, an official’s way
Honesty comes at a price. Or at least with some twisting of the arm of the person in question. Such is reported to be the case with Bhawana, a 2019 batch IAS officer known for being strict and going by the book. This approach did not make her any friends among politicians. During a recent periodic feedback that AP Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu seeks from politicians on how officials are working, the politicians saw their chance. Apparently alert to the goings-on, the IAS officer reportedly sent out feelers that things could become easy for the politicians including local elected members. Word doing rounds is that the MLAs expressed dissatisfaction with the superintendent of police Vikrant Patil who has since been moved out to Kurnool.
