Reports of polling percentages are supposed to have a semblance of accuracy, but this is not so with officials of Ranga Reddy district who did their mathematics based on erroneous initial data from field-level staff and ended up revising figures downwards every time.
On May 1, a day after the polls, three different reports of poll percentages arrived from the District Public Relations Office.
In the first, the polling percentage was 61.26, in the second - 61.11, and the third only contained constituency-wise revised figures.
On May 2, another list arrived, this time with the percentage pegged at 55.95 only! A call to the Collector yielded an answer that he was not aware of what the DPRO had sent.
V. Swathi
Zero transactions week
This is the time for undertaking the most gigantic task of bifurcating the State, engaging the attention of the entire bureaucracy in the government. The week preceding the appointed day – June 2 – has been identified as ‘zero transactions week’ to facilitate transition into two new States. The entire bureaucracy will do nothing but complete the process of division during the week (May 25 to May 31).
In effect, the integrated State will cease to function from May 25 as the staff will also be paid its salary on May 24 and not June 1.
The 22 committees set up to examine different aspects of reorganisation process have been asked to submit report by May 4.
N. Rahul
CEO at the
receiving end
The first phase of elections in Telangana have resulted in more brickbats than bouquets to the Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwar Lal.
If the inordinate delay in providing the consolidated final polling percentages is one complaint, the large scale missing names from the voters’ list in Hyderabad and other districts was another cause of discontent among the Collectors. While the polling was held on April 30, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer could provide the consolidated and verified figures only three days later.
The Election Commission intervened issuing notices to three Returning Officers. The tamper-proof and ultra sensitive EVMs added to the woes of the election officials. Any minor mishandling, the machines went into ‘factory mode’.
M.L. Melly Maitreyi
What’s in store?
Will the Pratyush Sinha Committee dealing with the distribution of All India Services officers in Telangana and successor AP allow the latter to exercise the option to remain here?
Many IAS and IPS officers, who are keen to remain in Hyderabad, are reportedly moving heaven and earth to see that the Committee agrees to their plea. The fear that new capital of AP could get ready in five years and not so salubrious climate in coastal areas are the main reasons, says a senior bureaucrat.
