The Hindu : CM goes through PR dept. files

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 07, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

CM goes through PR dept. files

By Our Special Correspondent

The Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, inspecting files at the Secretariat.

Hyderabad July 6. Mystery surrounds the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu's surprise visit to the Panchayat Raj Department in the Secretariat on Saturday a few hours after the Minister concerned, P. Srinivasa Reddy, denied the allegation that his relatives were involved in the transfer of some officials in the Engineering Wing of the department.

The allegation was reportedly made by some Telugu Desam leaders who put the pecuniary gain received by relatives at over Rs. 2 crores.

The battery of reporters on the Secretariat beat were surprised when they were told that they could not accompany the Chief Minister. Those who boarded the mini-bus on earlier information that the press could accompany him, had to disembark in disappointment.

Mr. Chandrababu Naidu straightaway drove to the "L'' block where the Panchayat Raj Department is located, and entered the chamber of the department's Principal Secretary, S. Ray, spending quarter of an hour inside. Later, he led the department's top officials into a mini-conference room on the eighth floor. According to department's insiders, he called for "specific files'' and scanned them for about two hours. A posse of policemen stood guard at the block, some at the main entry and a few others at the very conference room, while the entire contingent of GAD officials incharge of Secretariat matters, including K. Ratna Chari, deputy secretary, was in attendance.

This was in sharp contrast to the Chief Minister's routine practice, as part of such surprise visit, to go from one block to another and if he confined himself to a single block, from one section to section. The Panchayat Raj Minister came rushing to the conference room on being informed about the Chief Minister's visit even while Mr. Naidu completed the file-examination in about 20 minutes during which time even cameramen covering the event were asked to check out.

Among those present were Mr Ray himself, the Chief Secretrary, K. Swaminatham, Sathia Nair, incharge of e-governance, I. Y. R. Krishna Rao and V. Nagi Reddy, both secretaries in the department. As the "review'' progressed, bunches of the files sought by the Chief Minister were taken in and brought out by section officers.

Emerging from the room after two hours, Mr. Naidu faced presspersons. With the Minister by his side, the Chief Minister said he had checked up the file-disposal in the department. He said, he had noted that there were 500 files relating to Vigilance (which covered some irregularities in the department).

Mr. Naidu said the Panchayat Raj Department accounted for highest rate of pendency with 10,949 files as on June 15. This department and departments of Revenue, Irrigation and Home had the highest number of pending files--about 50,000, while the figure relating the entire Secretariat itself was 1,09,000 files. He hoped better days for disposal from November 1 from when the files would be cleared online.

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