IAS Officers Hesitate to Be Sircilla Collector
The collector was eventually transferred following complaints about protocol violation during National Flag Day.
Karimnagar: In a surprising shift in Telangana’s bureaucratic landscape, the tiny Rajanna Sircilla district is proving to be a hot potato for IAS officers.
Once considered a prestigious posting, the role of Sircilla collector is now being viewed by civil servants as a punishment post. Senior officials are preferring a loop-line (low-profile) position in the secretariat over a field posting in this district due to extreme political pressure and mounting legal complications.
The primary reason for the reluctance among IAS officers is the intense political climate. Sircilla is a high-profile constituency represented by BRS party working president and former minister K.T. Rama Rao. The district also includes the Vemulawada constituency, represented by government whip Aadi Srinivas.
Collectors find themselves caught in crossfire between a powerful opposition (BRS) and an assertive ruling party (Congress). Congress leaders like Sircilla assembly constituency in-charge K.K. Mahendar Reddy and Aadi Srinivas seek to assert their authority. BRS leaders remain vigilant, questioning every administrative move.
The fear among bureaucrats stems largely from the tenure of previous collector Sandeep Kumar Jha, who gained notoriety for his aggressive styles, crackdowns on land encroachments and public spats with political heavyweights.
Rama Rao criticised Sandeep Kumar, calling him a Congress activist in a collectors’ garb. This statement followed a dispute involving the removal of a tea stall featuring the MLA’s photo. Sandeep’s image suffered a blow when the Telangana high court summoned him and made him stand in court until evening. This related to the collector’s response to a compensation issue involving a local woman.
The collector was eventually transferred following complaints about protocol violation during National Flag Day.
Following Sandeep Kumar, M Haritha, who was serving as a special secretary, was appointed as the first female collector of the district on September 29. Within just 24 days of taking charge, Haritha went on long-term child care leave.
Locals say she was unhappy about being moved from a special secretary post to a district-level role. Her receipt of high court notices shortly after joining duty there and the pressure she faced from local politicians prompted her to step aside, it is learnt.
After multiple leave extensions that lasted until December, the government finally transferred her. She was appointed as secretary to the Telangana State Public Service Commission.
Meanwhile, in the absence of a full-time collector, the additional collector (local bodies), Garima Agarwal, has been serving as the in-charge collector. Since Haritha’s departure in October, Garima Agarwal has managed the district’s affairs, including conducting the local body elections in the district.
Following the latest government orders, Garima has been directed to continue as the in-charge collector for the time being. There is speculation that the government may eventually give her full-scale responsibility, as other senior officers are not willing to take up the Sircilla challenge.