Netas and Babus spat over spoils of corruption

Don’t complain, netas tell babus
TNN | Feb 5, 2012, 12.14AM IST
HYDERABAD: Describing the demands put forth by the IAS lobby as sheer blackmail, several political leaders said the agitating babus should remember that they are also part of the government. Any officer who is clean and honest need not worry about being prosecuted by the CBI, they said.

"We were also questioned by the CBI officials. We never complained," said home minister P Sabita Indra Reddy. She opined that demanding the arrest of ministers in the same manner as the IAS officers is nothing but dictating terms to the CBI.
Don’t complain, netas tell babus

IAS officers up in arms
Special Correspondent The Hindu 05 Feb 2012
In an unprecedented development, over 70 IAS officers met Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on Friday night and protested against the “manner” in which the CBI was investigating the cases relating to the assets of Kadapa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, and dilution of Government equity in Emaar Properties.

Seventy of the 100 IAS officers who run administration from the Secretariat were part of the large delegation which met the Chief Minister at his camp office for 90 minutes. Expressing their displeasure, they sought his intervention to stop what they called “humiliation and harassment” by the CBI as part of its investigation.

The decision to make a representation to the Chief Minister was taken at a meeting of A.P. IAS Officers' Association held earlier. The association building is interestingly located close to the Chief Minister's camp office. SMS and phone calls by the association to the members received an overwhelming response indicating that a storm was brewing in the bureaucracy.

Prasanta Mahapatra and J. Raymond Peter, association's vice-president and general secretary respectively, serving as principal secretaries of Irrigation and Social Welfare departments, told reporters later that every decision taken by the government was after due consideration and approval of the Ministers. However, during the CBI investigation, only IAS officers were singled out and made scapegoats. The officers became party to the decisions while discharging their official duty. These included some high-stake decisions which were already known to the people.

The two officers, however, maintained a stiff upper lip when asked if they meant the real culprits were Ministers. “How can we give good governance in this environment?” They contended that it appeared as though the CBI was conducting its investigation without knowing how the government would function and how the orders would be issued. The process of law was not being followed and government permission was not secured to prosecute an officer. Mr. Mahapatra suggested that it was high time that some elderly experienced administrators guided the CBI on this aspect. The situation called for exercising maturity.

The Chief Minister was stated to have sympathised with the IAS , and assured that he would take “appropriate steps” to protect the innocent. Mr. Mahapatra parried a question if the Chief Minister meant a representation by him to the Prime Minister.

Asked what they would do if he failed to take the “appropriate step”, he said, “That is a hypothetical question. We trust the Chief Minister.”

Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy, however, did not indicate his mind on the pleas made by them that the government extend legal assistance and bear the expenditure for the IAS officers in the cases.
IAS officers up in arms