Collectors' conference or mini TRS plenary?

HYDERABAD: The two-day Telangana collectors' conference appeared to be a mini TRS plenary before the actual event on April 24. There are 10 district collectors in Telangana. But inside the Marriott Hotel, where the conference concluded on Saturday, there were close to 400 IAS, IPS officers, ministers, MLAs, parliament secretaries and top TRS party functionaries in attendance.
It felt like a jamboree with the entire bureaucracy, including deputy collectors, joint collectors, deputy SPs, secretaries of various departments, municipal commissioners and mayors, camping in the five-star hotel. "This 'brainstorming' exercise is pointless. The chief minister is using the bureaucracy as a political tool to canvass for TRS with an eye on the coming elections," a senior IAS officer said. Insiders said the IAS officers were also miffed at the way they were treated by the CM's security staff who forced them to walk to the hotel from the main road.
Elections are due in GHMC, Khammam and Warangal municipal corporations, Khammam Lok Sabha and Sanathnagar assembly constituencies. "Chief minister Chandrasekhar Rao is going all out to use the entire government machinery to prop up his party's chances in the forthcoming elections. KCR has a lot at stake in the aftermath of farmer suicides, crop damage and administration failure. The conference is an eyewash," said senior Telangana TDP leader Errabelli Dayakar Rao.
For most part of the conference, it was Chandrasekhar Rao who held sway with his lengthy monologues. While the entire administration has come to a standstill with all the collectors and SPs stuck in the cool confines of the plush hotel for two days, KCR was driving home the point that the officials should spare no effort to create awareness among people about the "good work" done by his government in the last one year.
TPCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy told TOI that the collectors could have been better off serving and assisting officials in the rain-affected districts. "The conference is a waste of effort and a drain on the public exchequer. It is crazy that the CM is holding collectors' conferences at frequent intervals," he said.
Eyebrows were also raised over the conference being held at a time when the IAS officers are forced to work double shifts and handle three-four departments. In fact, it's the fourth such conference held within a year of KCR taking over as chief minister. The first three meets were held in June 2014 in Dr MCR HRD Institute, in August at Hitex and October in a five-star hotel. The collectors' meet is usually held annually.
While the collectors were given instructions on matters such as toilets in each house, SC/ST welfare, Mission Kakatiya and Pushkarams, crucial issues such as the bird flu outbreak, rain-inflicted crop loss and farmers' suicides were barely discussed. Even the state of rain-battered roads in Hyderabad and ill-equipped storm water drains also did not come up for discussion.
The chief minister, who had enthusiastically monitored the swine flu crisis for 48 hours and even sacked health minister T Rajaiah for 'mishandling' the situation, displayed complete lack of interest in the bird flu crisis. He also did nothing to assuage the worries of poultry businessmen in Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Medak districts, opposition leaders said.