A minister’s prescription to cure the country of non-performing IAS officers? They should all be “shot dead on the road”. Andhra Pradesh’s minor irrigation minister TG Venkatesh, however, made some enemies in the services, who instead want his head to roll for his ‘suggestion’.
On Tuesday, representatives of the Andhra Pradesh IAS officers’ association met chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and sought the removal of the industrialist-turned-politician or permission to move court. But Venkatesh refused to retract his statement or apologise.
Speaking to media at Kurnool on Friday, Venkatesh said, “The IAS officers are stalling developmental work by returning files with one query or another. Such bureaucrats should be shot dead on the road.”
Sources said the minister was angry with officials for not heeding his requests to take up de-silting of irrigation tanks and channels in his native Kurnool before the monsoon. And since work had not been done, farmers were suffering.
The IAS officers slammed the minister. “This kind of remark seeking mob justice is unacceptable. The minister was covering up for his inefficiency by blaming bureaucrats,” an IAS officer told HT.
The subordinate officers association too extended its support to IAS officers and threatened to boycott work if the minister did not retract his statement.
The CM, however, is hamstrung because a disgruntled Venkatesh might walk into rival Jagan Mohan Reddy camp, which is waiting in the wings to bring down the government.
{{/usCountry}}The CM, however, is hamstrung because a disgruntled Venkatesh might walk into rival Jagan Mohan Reddy camp, which is waiting in the wings to bring down the government.
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