It was supposed to be a moment of joy, a bit of revelry from the night before carried over, but for various Congress leaders who flocked to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s residence in Jubilee Hills on January 1, their New Year celebrations and greeting Revanth Reddy on the occasion turned into an exercise in revelation of delivery of a dose of tough love instead of festive cheer. Those who called on Revanth at his house were seen leaving somewhat shaken, some visibly shaken. The reason? Revanth revealed that he had compiled performance reports of all ministers and MLAs over the past year, and, in a matter-of-fact tone, announced to them that these evaluations would soon be shared with them, and stressed the need for improvement. Revanth also disclosed he had revamped his approach after reviewing his performance report and urged others to do the same. “These reports will determine your political future,” he warned, advising them to address any shortcomings identified. While some appreciated the wake-up call, others questioned the timing. “We came from far-flung districts to wish him a happy New Year, not to get graded like students in exams,” one MLA murmured, summing up the mix of surprise and unease among attendees.
NEW TG CHIEF SECRETARY ON THE CARDS
The corridors of Telangana’s Secretariat are abuzz with whispers, amidst an all pervading sense of intrigue as K. Ramakrishna Rao, finance special chief secretary, is being talked about as the likely candidate for the Chief Secretary (CS) post as incumbent A. Santhi Kumari retires in April. But there’s a twist: Rao is set to retire in August, giving him a mere four-month stint if appointed. Not one to settle for brevity, Rao reportedly has his sights set on an extended run. The grapevine is that Rao is negotiating a sweet deal, citing Andhra Pradesh’s precedent. Just last week, AP’s CS Neerabh Kumar Prasad retired only after his tenure was extended by six months. Rao wants a similar extension, urging Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to pull strings with the Centre to secure at least three or six extra months. The bureaucratic chess game has sparked speculation — will the government oblige, or will Rao’s ambitions be boxed into four fleeting months?
RECORD BOOZE SALE ON NYE
The spirited New Year celebrations, particularly the revelry the night before January 1 that came maudlin along after the night of December 31, have proved that the last day of the year was indeed a ‘State Liquor Day’, a spirited tongue-in-cheek name that many used for the day in Telangana. With the New Year’s Eve being one of the biggest nights when demand for liquor soars, the numbers that rolled in later were sobering for all those teetotallers who refuse to get sozzled, hammered, tanked, or blitzed as the case may be, while those who crocked their way through the celebrations, barrelled through the night. Those who squiffed may have been bombed and entered an altered state, but for the good folks at the State Beverages Corporation who kept the brew flowing across stores and bars, pubs and other venues, it was good news what with excise revenue that the government got as more than `800 crore worth of booze of different kinds was sold in the state just on December 30 and 31.
POT SMUGGLERS BATTLE POTHOLED ROADS OF AP
Bad roads, pockmarked with potholes, are the bane of everyone. But there are some who are rethinking about complaining on this issue, at least in some parts of Andhra Pradesh. For these folks, it is all about potholes making it harder for those transporting pot not being able to pick an easy getaway line on potholed roads. Apparently, some cops have realised that potholed roads have their virtues and have turned into a great help in catching ganja smugglers. Recently, a police officer couldn’t help but chuckle about how Odisha’s pristine roads are practically a getaway gift for criminals. Meanwhile, in AP, the bumpy rides are clearly making life tougher for smugglers. If the official was to be believed, the pothole-riddled obstacle courses in some parts of the state are making it hard for the bad guys to escape with their run from the cops going slower than what they hoped for.
IAS BABU LAYS LOW POST YSRC LOSS
Invisible After Sunrise. Invisible After Sunset. This is what those pursuing their IAS dreams are supposed to be like, or that is the joke that does the rounds at various coaching centres. But, once the IAS dream is achieved, a quick sidestep could well land someone into oblivion as former senior IAS officer Md Imitiaz Ahmed is apparently finding out in Andhra Pradesh. After throwing his lot with the YSRC before the last elections, and losing them in fairly quick succession with his political career lasting a bare three months, Ahmed is now keeping away from YSRC that lost the polls, leaving several in the bureaucratic circles wondering if Ahmed is now in an Incognito After Setback mode.
COFFEE WITH CM - A GROWING TREND
Social justice can be accompanied by a cup of coffee made by the Chief Minister. AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, on a visit to the home of a couple to deliver social security welfare pension, stayed back, and to the apparent delight laced by some nervousness of the Talari Saramma and Yedukondalu couple in Yelamanda village in Palnadu district, proceeded to prepare a cup of coffee for himself after dashing into the tiny kitchen. Of course, Naidu shared the coffee with the couple, and the verdict on how tasty a cuppa the leader from Kuppam can make is now awaited.
Contributed by Laxmi Pranathi, L. Venkat Ram Reddy, P.V. Prasad, Sampat G. Samritan, and Neeraj Kumar
