The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Axe may fall on many officials

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 06, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Axe may fall on many officials

Special Correspondent

Exercise on administrative shake-up begins

HYDERABAD: The Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, along with his Advisor, Political Affairs, K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao, began the `SWOT' analysis of his administration at the MCR HRD Institute on Thursday evening.

The administrative shake-up announced to take place in the first week of May will in all probability follow the first anniversary celebrations of the Congress Government.

Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy is expected to act tough this time unlike in the past where going by his own admission he "has given a long rope to some officials" and not penalised them for omissions and commissions.

The spat between the IAS and the DGP over booking of a case against an IAS officer, Shalini Mishra, was also not to his liking and he hauled up the DGP against resorting to any misadventure.

The aided schools mess-up was another irksome matter following which he gave a dressing-down to a senior IAS officer of the Education Department.

Though there is a growing feeling among the higher echelons of the administration that the shake-up should begin with the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) as there seems to be a complete lack of coordination, this may not happen due to `political compulsions', it is said.

There is a growing disenchantment with the CMO's functioning among the ruling party leaders too who feel "efficiency, not political considerations, should have been recognised in the selection of the team".

The reshuffle might witness perhaps only one official being transferred out of the CMO while the axe might fall on half a dozen Heads of Department.

The East Godavari Collector, K. S. Jawahar Reddy, is tipped to enter the CMO while some IAS officers, shunted to the loopline earlier, might return to good positions based on their "efficient track record".

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Andhra Pradesh