Neta’s Natter Telangana | KTR Gets ‘Cagged’ In Trying To Flog Govt

Did you just get Cagged? To those wondering what this is, it is the status of those caught for their complicity in various questionable government decisions and deals unerringly revealed in Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports — when a government decides to actually release them. Typically, Opposition leaders use the CAG reports to flog the ruling side for omissions and commissions but this time, things sort of, well did not play out quite according to the script. BRS leader K.T. Rama Rao who slammed the government for morphing the Hyderabad Pharma City land into the Bharat Future City, found himself running on possibly corrupted data, and in the process, got ‘cagged’. A recent CAG report revealed that during KTR’s tenure as IT minister, land within Pharma City was allotted to Amazon Data Services India for a data centre, a move that was flagged as deviating from the stated purpose of land acquisition. Nothing, it seems, escapes the eagle eye of the accountants at CAG.

More than just fine rice in Uttam’s meal

The Telangana Assembly briefly swapped debate for dining, as civil supplies minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy served up a ‘sanna biyyam’ lunch with a side dish of symbolism. The occasion: one year of a scheme that delivers fine rice free to nearly 86 per cent of the state’s population. This wasn’t just a meal — it was a live tasting session of governance. MLAs, MLCs, ministers and journalists dug in, and the verdict was near-unanimous: the rice passed with flying colours. But as the plates emptied, the conversation shifted from flavour to ownership. Uttam dished out full credit to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for conceptualising the scheme. Revanth returned the compliment, pointing out that while ideas are plenty, delivering them was what truly mattered. Then came a dash of political nostalgia. Senior Congress leaders recalled N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and his 2013 ‘Mana Biyyam’ scheme — similar in essence, though sold at ₹1 per kg. In the end, while the rice was served free, the credit remained very much on the table.

Raj Gopal pulls out ‘red book’ of revenge

It’s not just elephants, but even politicians have long memories, the case in point being Congress Munugode MLA Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy, who apparently has a bit of help from his own little ‘red book’ for strikes against those who let him down. Or this must be the case, is the word doing the rounds among those who follow him closely. The evidence of Raj Gopal’s “I haven’t forgotten” lies in his not recommending those who he believes let him down in the 2022 bypoll to Munugode, that he lost. And when someone now approaches him asking him to put in a word with the party command, or the government, Raj Gopal’s reaction depends on that person’s track record as noted in the ‘red book’, whether he or she worked sincerely for a win in the bypoll or not. While Congress leaders wait for nominated posts, there are increasing suspicions that unless a loyalty test from the past is passed, things might not move for such individuals.

Azhar pads up praise for Revanth

Inspiration, especially the manner in which it can come, has a way of its own. Or does it? For minister Mohammad Azharuddin, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who comes under Opposition fire more often than not, will be seen in a better light in the not too distant future. There was a time when social reformers like Ramakrishna Paramahansa and Swami Vivekananda too had their detractors, but just like they are revered for what they really were, so will Revanth Reddy be, was Azhar’s explanation in the Assembly during a discussion on the CM ordering a CID probe into mining irregularities in the state. The people will see how transparently the government works, the former cricketer contended. Then there was the mention of the social transformation being brought about by Revanth Reddy, which too, had its detractors. While this may all be right, there is also the question of Azhar’s continuation as minister with the six-month period running out towards the end of the month.

Sridhar Babu — to an EV event in diesel guzzlers

What does it take to launch a scheme, announcing subsidies for electric vehicles for 3.5 lakh government employees? Of course, the first is the decision to do so, and then its launch, finally its implementation. And so, the second leg of the sequence saw transport minister Ponnam Prabhakar do the honours at the Secretariat, arriving in a convoy of petrol and diesel guzzling SUVs. This left many wondering why, if for nothing more than optics at least, the minister and his entourage did not drop in EVs. Or was it because a scheme to offer EVs at discounts to legislators is not in place? In any case, the quickly charged event was over quickly, everyone hopped back into their SUVs, and that was that for the event.

Naidu comes up with a cure for OTT binging

A good politician is one who has well-meditated solutions to problems. For instance, like the seasoned politician and AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu who deftly turned a potential sticky situation into a seemingly social problem where nearly anyone could be the culprit. Turning into a votary of calmness, and a champion of stress-busting meditation, Naidu the other day suggested that all his party MLAs practise a daily 20-minute dose of meditation. The advice came against the backdrop of a recent incident where a TD MLA reportedly created a ruckus at a government office. Linking the phenomenon of frayed tempers to excessive binge-watching of OTT series and crime-filled reels, Naidu suggested mindfulness, even offering to organise special meditation classes if required. For now, Naidu’s meditation mantra appears to have calmed things down.

Jagan’s ‘Mavigun’ comes with a strong recoil

There was once a ‘Quickgun Murugan’. And now, there appears to be a ‘Mavigun Jagun’ thanks to former chief minister and YSRC president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy freely shooting from his hip and missing the bull’s-eye by a wide margin. Never a fan of Amaravati as the AP capital, Jagan had pushed for three capitals during his tenure in power but that plan was as effective as firing an aimless blank. After the humiliating win of just 11 seats in the Assembly in 2024 elections against the 151 of the 175 he had previously, Jagan was at it again, proposing a capital region of Machilipatnam-Vijayawada-Guntur (MAVIGUN), immediately prompting a wave of memes poking fun at, well, ‘Jagun’. Though Jagan did say that the name could be anything other than MAVIGUN, if folks in power are averse to his suggestions, the former CM found himself in the firing range of the meme world, his new status as ‘Mavigun Jagun’ doing little to save him from the shooting gallery his finds himself in.

Contributions from L. Venkat Ram Reddy, Neeraj Kumar, Sanjay Samuel Paul, Md. Nizamuddin, P. Srinivas, Md Ilyas, Sampat G. Samritan