KCR acts to dilute anti-incumbency, sets weekly priorities for collectors
HYDERABAD: In an effort to combat anti-incumbency in the lead-up to the Assembly elections, which are just a year away, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has set “weekly priorities” for district collectors to address long-standing issues affecting the people, including those related to welfare schemes, land and the Dharani portal. The move is aimed at creating a “feel good factor”.
The TRS leadership is worried about anti-incumbency after holding office for two consecutive terms since 2014, especially after surveys commissioned by Chandrashekar Rao, including a few independent surveys carried out by Prashant Kishor’s I-PAC teams, indicated anti-incumbency in 50 to 60 Assembly constituencies.
Party sources claimed that despite surveys showing that voters were generally pleased with the TRS government’s performance in terms of welfare programmes and development initiatives, anti-incumbency was directed at MLAs who lost touch with voters because they were confined primarily to Hyderabad and were unavailable in their constituencies.
During a meeting of the TRS Legislature Party (TRSLP) on September 3 at Telangana Bhavan, the CM had warned the MLAs against confining themselves to Hyderabad and directed them to remain in their constituencies. The CM bluntly told to them that MLAs from other districts had no business to stay in Hyderabad and that they should always be present in their districts and accessible to the public. He urged MLAs to regularly organise and take part in “mass lunch programmes” in their districts to connect with voters.
Consequently, Rao instructed Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to give district collectors weekly priorities and targets so that urgent issues affecting people would be dealt with immediately. Following this, the CS quickly dashed off letters to all collectors on Sunday.
The CS outlined this week’s top priorities for collectors, including resolving Podu land disputes, expediting distribution of Aasara pensions, clearing pending GO 59 land regularisation applications, expediting the resolution of TM33 cases on the Dharani portal pertaining to modification to pattadar names, land extent, nature of the land, missing survey numbers, as well as unresolved revenue issues and prohibited properties.
With increasing incidents of food poisoning in government welfare hostels and students facing health issues, the CS instructed collectors to accord special attention on these hostels and ensure no such cases are reported. The collectors were asked to submit action taken reports (ATRs) on all the issues listed by him every week which will be submitted to the CM for his remarks.
In the letter, the CS has sent a specific format for collectors to send their reports. “Please acknowledge immediately and share report subsequently,” the CS stated in the letter.