Telangana Neta Natter | Revanth Jolt Gets Things Moving

For Telangana’s IAS officers, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s patience appears to be wearing thin. His unprecedented warning that IAS officers could be suspended over power cuts sent shockwaves through bureaucratic circles, putting senior officials on notice that a casual approach to his instructions could cost them their posts. Energy Special Chief Secretary Navin Mittal and TG Genco CMD S. Harish were specifically warned, while other IAS officers in power utilities also faced the heat. Although Revanth has repeatedly expressed displeasure with IAS officers over the past three years, this is the first time he has explicitly threatened to suspend them over administrative failures. The immediate trigger was the officials’ casual approach to his repeated directions to ensure full-capacity generation at the Yadadri and other thermal power stations. The YTPS chief engineer’s head has rolled, and five IAS officers will monitor the plant on a rotational basis. With power shortages and outages fuelling anger among farmers struggling to save their crops and other consumers, the CM apparently felt the need to inject a little electricity into the system.

Indefatigable VHR carves space for himself

The Samakhya Global Business Meet at Hitex on Wednesday had business on its agenda, but senior Congress leader V. Hanumantha Rao briefly shifted the spotlight to a different quota — his share of speaking time. As Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy began addressing the meeting, VHR stood up from his chair on the dais and asked, “Shouldn’t I get a chance to speak?” The Chief Minister responded with a smile, paused his speech and playfully told the veteran to speak in his quota before returning to his seat. VHR subsequently addressed the gathering, arguing that if other political leaders on the dais were given an opportunity to speak, he too deserved one. He insisted there was no political motive behind his interruption, but merely a demand for equal opportunity on the stage. Congress circles, meanwhile, felt that some party critics were attempting to turn a candid exchange into a political controversy. They claimed it was more about an enthusiastic leader claiming his microphone moment than any serious discord between the veteran, recently appointed as a government adviser, and the Chief Minister. At a summit discussing global business, VHR briefly brought the gathering back to a familiar question: who gets the mic, and for how long?

KTR takes it on the chin

Nothing escapes the eagle eyes of politicians looking to score points over their rivals, not even a beard. Though politicians are used to taking one on the chin every now and then, sporting a beard can itself become part of a political back-and-forth. There was a time when minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy came under scrutiny after he started growing a beard and claimed that he would not shave it until the Congress came to power. Now, it appears to be the turn of BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao, who is sporting an “I-am-growing-a-beard” look. The facial fuzz did not escape the notice of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who, while speaking about El Nino and its impact on the state, took a dig at KTR without naming him, saying that there was someone going around in a “disguise”. Whatever the truth may be, KTR explained that the beard had something to do with his meeting with the rugged Singareni workers and that a “tough” look was called for.

El Nino dries up Tummala’s water promise

Nature has a way of putting spokes in the best-laid plans. That appears to be the case with agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, who has often said his goal in life was to ensure that every acre in the erstwhile Khammam district had assured irrigation. Tummala, who had repeatedly told farmers that the Sitarama Lift Irrigation Scheme and the Rajiv Sagar left canal would ensure water for crops even in adverse conditions, recently urged farmers at a meeting in Khammam not to plant any crops during Yasangi, citing a lack of water for irrigation. The El Nino impact appears to have left little room for optimism. His remarks have not gone down well with opposition leaders in the district, who were quick to accuse the minister of making false claims in the past and now blaming the weather for the problems faced by farmers.

Can faith bring rain? Everyone prays it’s so

Faith, they say, can move mountains. Can it bring rain? That is the test facing farmers in Nizamabad, Kamareddy, Medak, Siddipet and Sangareddy districts, who are praying to Varuna, the rain god, for some much-needed showers. Since drought knows no religion, people from other communities are also joining in with prayers of their own. Muslims have conducted special prayers in many mosques, while Christians have done so in some churches. The government, too, had earlier conducted a Varuna Yagam at Nagarjunasagar. It remains to be seen whether the increasing number and frequency of prayers will be answered and whether the moisture-stressed fields in these districts will receive a gift from the heavens.

Vijay lends a helping hand, and how

Even priests, who communicate directly with the deities at temples the wishes and prayers of people, common or VIPs, sometimes need a helping hand. As happened during Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s recent visit to Vijayawada. Vijay, who arrived at the Kanaka Durga temple on Indrakeeladri hill during the ongoing Navaratri celebrations in traditional attire, wearing a white dhoti and a shirt, was welcomed by the priests with temple honours following which he offered special prayers. After darshan of the deity, as per the temple tradition, a priest was supposed to anoint a vermilion mark on his forehead but for some reason, the priest struggled to do so. So Vijay stepped in, gently held the priest’s hand to help him apply the mark. What could have been a bureaucratic nightmare involving a VIP was resolved with the VIP’s helping hand. Vijay also received a sacred garment, theertha prasadam and a framed portrait of the deity Kanaka Durga and was given the traditional Vedic benediction by the priests.

Contributions from L. Venkat Ram Reddy, Neeraj Kumar, Balu Pulipaka, Narender Pulloor, Sampat G. Samritan