AP cabinet ministers fought over the transfer of Visakhapatnam Revenue Divisional Officer
AP CM Chandrababu Naidu. (Photo: DC/File)
Hyderabad: Differences between two ministers over the transfer of Visakhapatnam Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) led to division in the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet.
The issue on Saturday went up to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who expressed his anger and unhappiness with his Cabinet colleagues about the unnecessary brawl between the ministers on a trivial issue. Mr Naidu has decided to give a strict warning to the ministers at the next Cabinet meeting, scheduled to be held on November 18.
Deputy Chief Minister K.E. Krishna Murthy met Mr Naidu on Saturday at the Secretariat and defended his decision to transfer Vizag RDO and appoint Ramachandra Reddy. He explained the allegations and vigilance department reports against Mr Murali. Following the latest developments, the deputy Chief Minister decided to refer the matter to the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) for further enquiry and to initiate action.
RDO Murali is close to minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao, while Ramachandra Reddy, appointed in place of Mr Murali, is related to forest minister Bojjala Gopala Krishna Reddy. Mr Ganta Srinivasa Rao requested the district collector to allow the RDO to continue until November 17 as he had organised a function to felicitate officers, who had worked tirelessly during the relief operations after Hudhud cyclone.
Interestingly, the Chief Minister is scheduled to visit Vizag on November 17 to felicitate the officers. Whether the CM will felicitate Mr Murali, facing several charges, like tampering of records, or not remains to be seen.
The CM said such incidents will tarnish the government's image. He said all disputes must be resolved in private. On Saturday morning Chief Secretary I.Y.R. Krishna Rao and CM’s principal secretary Satish Chandra briefed the CM about the issue.
The deputy Chief Minister also met the CM and complained that the present RDO was not relieved by the collector despite having instructed him personally to do so.
Sources said when the deputy Chief Minister was briefing him on the issue, Mr Naidu called his principal secretary Satish Chandra and asked him about the incident in the presence of the deputy Chief Minister.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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