Corruption-free Tahsildar office this!
In the background of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao declaring that the government would overhaul the Revenue Department with emphasis on ensuring corruption free services, a flexi outside the tahsil office in Munugode of Nalgonda made a refreshing commitment to people.
It read “this is a corruption-free office. No one need pay any money for services here. All your applications will be attended to in the stipulated time frame”.
Recording his mobile number and that of the deputy tahsildar, the Tahsildar appealed to public to lodge complaints with them if anyone in his office from village revenue assistant to village revenue officer and down below demanded money for services. Signing off, complaints could be taken to the Revenue Divisional Officer and the District Collector if he or his deputy were to demand money.
Villages brace up for another election
The State is bracing up for another bout of election. This time, it is only for population in villages to elect their representatives in Mandal and Zilla Parishads which are part of a three tier system of rural local bodies. The elections to the first tier — gram panchayats — were over last month.
The elections have brought with them strange situations in some districts. Take the case of Chandur mandal in erstwhile Nizamabad district which was newly created. It has three Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs) for a population of 8,000. If two of the elected MPTC members join hands, they can corner the president and vice-president posts of the Mandal Parishad.
In Mosra mandal of the same district, there are four MPTCs. If two MPTC members each on either side unite, a tie for the president post will become inevitable. The question is whether the State Election Commission will order toss of the coin like in gram panchayat elections.
Seeking a change in Telangana too!
As the parties which contested the nail-biting Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh lay in wait for results slated to be declared on May 23, Jana Sena Party (JSP), one of the key players expected to make an impact there, is seeking a change in Telangana too beginning from the ground level — rural local bodies.
Actor-turned-politician and JSP chief Pawan Kalyan who held a meeting at Mangalagiri on Sunday with the party’s candidates who contested both Assembly and Lok Sabha elections told them that the pattern of polling in AP had given clear indications of changing preferences of the people. Stating that people in Telangana too were seeking such a change he felt that it should begin with the ensuing rural local bodies’ elections. It is reported that he has already asked the Telangana leaders of the party to seek the opinion of the cadre on entering the fray. Although the party has no hopes of making any visible impact in the Lok Sabha polls in Telangana where it contested seven seats, it is of the opinion that elections at ground level would present an altogether different arithmetic!
Doubts on seniority list proven
The Telangana government’s objections to the discrepancies in the seniority list of the inspectors of police provided by neighbouring Andhra Pradesh are not without sound basis going by the developments that unfolded recently.
YSR Congress president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy complained to Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan that the AP government gave “out of turn” promotions to certain category of inspectors making them DSPs and entrusting them with important responsibilities. These officials were harassing the YSRC leaders and cadre, Mr. Jagan complained.
This confirmed Telangana’s contention that seniority lists were finalised by AP Home department in violation of the procedure. And, the Union Home Ministry upheld the State’s contention and asked the neighbouring State to settle the discrepancies in the seniority list of officials of the rank of inspectors.
(N. Rahul, B. Chandrasekhar and M. Rajeev)