Thanks to the Nandyal byelection, visitors from far-flung areas are apparently unhappy with the ministers for being inaccessible to them. About 10 Ministers have been camping in Nandyal to oversee and take part in the election campaign for close to a fortnight now.
A few others have been visiting Nandyal frequently with the result only a few ministers were seen at the Secretariat in the last 10 days.
The list includes Somireddi Chandramohan Reddy, Kala Venkat Rao, P. Narayana, Siddha Raghava Rao, Bhuma Akhila Priya, Nakka Anand Babu, K.E. Krishna Murthy, K. Atchannaidu, Kollu Ravindra, Adinarayana Reddy, Amarnath Reddy, and K. S. Jawahar.
The buzz in the Secretariat is missing as except the Chief Minister other ministers are rarely seen; most of them spending a good part of their time in the election campaign or tour of their constituencies. The Ministers are neither conducting review meetings nor meeting the visitors.
Scores of people from different places, who visit the Secretariat to seek redress of their problems, were seen waiting anxiously outside the Secretariat seeking entry pass. Their long wait eventually ends up in vain.
The visitors point out that they have to undergo security checks before entering the Secretariat. “Despite getting frisked and checked, visitors find it hard to meet the people whom they voted to power. Isn’t it unfortunate? If the ministers or officials are not available in the Secretariat, where would the common man go?” asks a visitor.
The people alleged that most of the time they are being informed that Ministers were not present in the Secretariat.
“When we arrive with a hope that we will meet the Minister, we are told that he is busy in a meeting and when there is no meeting we are informed Minister in not available in the office,” say visitors like M. Govinda Kumari.
One of the visitors alleged that he had visited the Secretariat on many occasions to meet the Minister. “Either I couldn’t find him in the office or the peon did not let me in. Even today, I could not meet the Minister.”
“The government should understand that there are people who come from far-off places and it is difficult to return home late. Unlike other places, the transport facilities are not available after dusk. Despite hardships, we may not be able to meet officials or ministers,” said another visitor.
The Ministers, however, keep saying they are busy in election campaign.
