The Hindu : Kanda in fresh row

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 04, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Kanda in fresh row

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, FEB. 3. For the second time in as many weeks, the Chief Secretary, Mohan Kanda, has unwittingly become the focal point of a political controversy between the Congress and the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

The latest row is over reported statement of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president, D. Srinivas, saying that his party would appoint an inquiry commission against Mr. Kanda if elected to power. His reference was to the advertisements issued in a weekly magazine and free distribution of a CD highlighting the State's development, all at an expense of Rs. 1.60 crores to the State exchequer.

Earlier, the Congress leadership had criticised the Chief Secretary for writing a letter to the Election Commission (EC) suggesting that elections to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls in order to cut down expenditure.

Addressing a press conference jointly, the Health Minister, K. Sivaprasada Rao, and the Panchayat Raj Minister, N. Janardhan Reddy, strongly defended the Chief Secretary by describing him as a sincere and active officer. He had served in crucial positions at the Centre and also as Secretary to the then Chief Minister, N. Janardhan Reddy, in early nineties.

The Congress leaders' allegation amounted to a veiled threat aimed at intimidating the official machinery before the Assembly elections. This was in keeping with their culture of trying to cow down IAS and IPS officers for narrow political gains and exposed their frustration.

The Ministers said Mr. Mohan Kanda had released the CD as part of his official duties to publicise the Government's achievements and could not be faulted on that score. Moreover, the election code of conduct was not in force. They recalled that the former Chattisgarh Chief Minister, Ajit Jogi, and the Punjab Chief Minister, Amrinder Singh, had been pulled up by the EC for misusing official machinery before the polls.

Justifying the Government's expenditure on advertisements, they maintained that "more development warranted more publicity.'' However, they pointed out that the annual budget of the Information Department was only Rs. 45 crores out of which a major chunk went towards staff salaries.

The two leaders held that the TDP Government enjoyed the goodwill of the people and was sure to return to power. Thus, the question of Congress assuming power and punishing officials did not arise, they added.

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Andhra Pradesh