Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Collector takes it out on politicos

By Our Staff Reporter

NALGONDA AUG.22. Unable to cope with the political pressure, some of the district officials including the Collector, Ram Prakash Sisodia, want to go on leave.

This was revealed by none other than the Collector himself in the presence of elected representatives at the Zilla Parishad general body meeting here on Friday. "Politicisation of the administration is a malady in our society. As it is difficult to run the administration in these circumstances, some of the officials, including me, want to go on leave,'' he announced much to the surprise of the meeting.

When members cutting across party lines staged a dharna in front of the podium demanding the "immediate suspension of corrupt Mandal Parishad Development Officers,'' the Collector spilt the beans about the "increasing political interference in administrative matters.'' The agitating members, who fired salvos at the administration for more than an hour, were stunned with the call a spade-a-spade speech of the Collector.

``The situation is worsening day by day as we don't have the black and white administration, where we can freely decide things on our own. In fact, I wanted to suspend an MPDO on charges of corruption but I had to withdraw it on the request of a leader who is present in the house and who is also making a fuss now,'' he revealed. The MPDO, who was later transferred by the Collector, was the subject of the discussion in the House.

However, the MP, G. Sukhender Reddy, the MLAs -- V. Purushottam Reddy, D. Gopal, K. Venkat Reddy, R. Srinivas. N. Narasimhaiah, Bharathi Ragya Naik -- were present at the ZP meeting but no one asked for the disclosure of the name of the leader who influenced the official.

Mr. Sisodia said: "Two groups have been working in the district. Today every employee, from attender to the MPDO, should identify himself with one group or the other. There is no single person in the administration who is working outside these groups. Hence, running the administration has become a tough job.''

Anger mingled with anguish, the Collector went on: "You (people's representatives) go ahead with your politics but don't rope us into it, please.''

The Collector made it clear that he could not suspend every official who was facing corruption charges. Action would be taken after ordering an inquiry and obtaining an explanation from the official concerned.

At one point of time, the Collector and the TRS floor leader, Janardhan Reddy, were engaged in a verbal duel over the latter's allegation that he had not been informed about an official meeting on child labour. Recalling the incident, the Collector said Mr. Reddy had attended the meeting and boycotted it after delivering a speech. "Why did you boycott the meeting and hold a press conference to announce the same.

How can you insult a Collector?'' he shouted. Finally, the House took up another issue with the intervention of the MP.

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