Date:01/04/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/04/01/stories/2005040118750500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Transfer travails taxing Jana

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, MARCH 31. The Home Minister, K. Jana Reddy, has made no bones about the fact that half his time is consumed in carrying out transfers of police officials.

Giving an insight into how he was bogged down with persistent demands from the MLAs for transfer of police officials, Mr. Reddy was frank in admitting at a news conference here on Thursday that many of them would come up with not less than four to five cases each time. Mr Reddy said he was effecting 90 per cent of the transfers, on the request of the MLAs.

He said the transfer request of an officer would usually cross 10 to 12 levels until it reached him. Ultimately, it would come from an MLA whom he would be forced to oblige, while the persons who mediated remained out of scene.

He had to do a lot of balancing act between conflicting demands of different MLAs in the process. However, his decision would be based on the majority view.

Mr. Reddy admitted that a lot of people claimed proximity to him while pleading the transfer cases. "I am unhappy with this kind of work," he remarked. Faced with the complex nature of his job, he had asked the Centre for Good Governance to come to his rescue.