The IAS officers in Telangana are keenly awaiting the response of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to a letter that he received in his office requesting him to transfer Additional Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office, Smita Sabharwal, as the Collector of Nalgonda.
The letter, written by Kattula Hari Kumar, Nalgonda district president of Babu Jagjivan Ram Association, said that Mr. Rao could better utilise the services of Ms. Sabharwal as the Collector of Nalgonda as she had rich experience when she served Karimnagar and Medak districts. Her services would be of immense use to the fluoride-affected Nalgonda, Mr. Hari Kumar wrote. Ms. Sabharwal was handpicked by Mr. Rao to be in his office, though she was the first woman for such an assignment. Since he has focussed his attention on wiping out fluoride problem from Nalgonda, the IAS officers are anxious to know whether the letter has caught the imagination of Mr. Rao.
AP IAS officers a relieved lot
The IAS officers of Andhra Pradesh were somewhat relieved last week when the Information and Public Relations Minister, Palle Raghunatha Reddy, announced that it might not be possible to hold the winter session of the State Assembly in Nagarjuna University at Guntur.
When the Speaker, Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, announced earlier that he was contemplating the Assembly session on the university campus, IAS officers were nervous at the prospect of having to leave Hyderabad for such a long period. They shuddered to think about accommodation, security, transportation and other facilities not only for themselves and other officers, but for 175 MLAs, Assembly staff and lower-level employees.
Collectors have their hands full
The IAS officers, particularly Collectors, in Telangana now have their hands full as they were instructed by the government to educate farmers not to go for paddy cultivation which is water intensive, but sow irrigated dry crops in rabi.
With the south west and north east monsoon failing, the government has had a tough time dealing with agriculture activity in the State. Adding to the woes, over 350 farmers committed suicide due to crop loss. The power crisis also worsened the situation. It was in these circumstances that the government issued an advisory to farmers not to go for paddy cultivation. Now, it is up to the Collectors and officials to goad ryots to cultivate dry crops.
Reporting by N. Rahul, B. Chandrashekhar, Suresh Krishnamoorthy
