‘High tea' and straight talk

Sending out a loud and clear message to bureaucrats, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy advised IAS, IPS and IFS officers against lobbying for transfers and promotions and called upon them to put up an improved performance in the interests of the poor.

He would go by performance while effecting promotions and transfers; he knew 75 per cent of the officers by name and even enjoyed personal rapport with some. But he would expect everyone to deliver. “Any Chief Minister would have to appear for an examination (elections) once in five years. “To write the exams is to show results,” he observed. Addressing them briefly at a ‘high tea' he hosted for the officers at the Lake View Guest House on Friday evening, Mr. Reddy said, “I have clarity about the policies and programmes I will pursue.” He sought their cooperation to implement them in letter and spirit.

Officers individually greeted the Chief Minister, who was on a dais flanked by the three heads of all-India services -- Chief Secretary S.V. Prasad, Director General of Police K. Aravinda Rao and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests C.M. Madhukar Raj. Mr. Reddy observed that God had given him an opportunity to serve the State when it was passing through a crucial phase. He would strive to give good governance and win the confidence of all. The Chief Minister asked the 200-odd officers -- the cream of administrative cadre -- to ensure that the benefits under various welfare schemes reached the poor. “You play a key role in transferring the benefits to the targeted sections. Be transparent and accountable.”

Referring to the leakages/loopholes in welfare schemes, Mr. Reddy stated that there was a need to develop a system to rectify them and improve the delivery mechanism. “Take novel initiatives to plug them,” the Chief Minister said.

‘Some rust'

The Chief Secretary said he knew the Chief Minister's priorities by following his maiden media conference on Thursday. He assured that they would be implemented as expected, although there was “some rust” among the officers. Mr. Prasad said Mr. Reddy had brought along with him “a lot of freshness, dynamism and promise of performance”. The DGP said the police force would ensure that the government's image was enhanced. The PCCF said IFS officers would strive to achieve a pollution-free State.