Babudom bonhomie totters as MLAs want their pound of flesh

HYDERABAD: Is the honeymoon between the bureaucracy and the TRS government over? Many in the political circles as well as the bureaucracy feel that the recent incidents involving a run-in between the two are a clear indication that the gulf between babus and the ruling party MLAs is widening.

From the recent embarrassing incident in which Mahbubabad TRS MLA Shankar Nayak was arrested for allegedly misbehaving with district collector Preeti Meena during a Harita Haram programme, to Tuesday's incident in which

Jangaon

collector A

Devasena

publicly accused local legislator Muthireddy Yadagiri Reddy of grabbing land meant for Bathukamma kunta in Jangaon town, it is clear that there is a conflict of interest between the politicians wanting to have their way and bureaucrats insisting on going by the rule book.

The war of words between the Jangaon collector and Yadagiri Reddy reached a flashpoint with the former submitting a detailed report on the 'illegal land encroachments' of the legislators to the state government.

The collector and the MLA have been at loggerheads after the latter allegedly used foul language against female staff of the revenue department a few months ago for not following his orders.

The Sankar Naik issue had attracted severe criticism from political circles and IAS officers, forcing chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to intervene.Upon KCR's direction, the MLA had tendered apology to collector Meena. Now, the government is all set to announce an inquiry into the allegations made by the Jangaon collector against Yadagiri Reddy .

In yet another instance, earlier this year, Manakonduru MLA Balakishan had demanded explanation from the

Karimnagar

collector. The incident took place at the `Digi Dhan' mela when the MLA took offence to a flexi not having the photo of local MP B Vinod Kumar and demanded an explanation from the collector. The MLA also refused to share the dais with the official and picked an argument with him. On his part, the collector complained to chief secretary S P Singh who in turn forwarded it to the CM where the issue still hangs fire.

In another example of TRS leaders flexing their muscles, TRS leaders had attacked Yellandu municipal commissioner M Ravi Babu after he had ordered the removal of all flexies.

The TRS leaders including the personal asssistant of local TRS MLA K

Kanakaiah

abused the commissioner and his family and threatened them with dire consequences. Ravi Babu was taken to task for following municipal minister KT Rama Rao's direction not to allow any political party to erect flexies and banners in the town.

Later, cases were booked against the TRS men involved in the incident.

“There is no safety for IAS and other senior officers in the state. One SC officer was attacked by TRS leaders but no case has been filed till now. Several incidents of high-handed behaviour of TRS legislators and leaders are being reported but the state government is not taking any action against its own party leaders,“ state Congress chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy said.

The CPM and TDP also demanded action against those who attacked the municipal commissioner.

It was learnt that the chief secretary had received complaints from several other district collectors detailing wrongdoings by TRS elected representatives and that he conveyed the same to the CM. But no action from the CMO is forthcoming.