Outsider Babu packs Govt with insider babus

The state has half-a-dozen secretaries who head key ministries, a similar number of additional secretaries and chairmen who head various corporations and at least 15 joint secretaries who are strategically posted in crucial departments and ministries.

‘‘It’s quite a feat for a state like Andhra to emerge in the top list,’’ says a senior bureaucrat, ‘‘given the fact that the cow-belt states have a bigger quota in the civil services because of their size.’’

There are six secretaries from Andhra manning key ministries at the Centre — V. Govindarajan, secretary, industrial policy and promotion (formerly secretary, company affairs, he was additional secretary in the finance ministry dealing specifically with international funding agencies like World Bank and IMF); C. Satyanarayana Rao, secretary, revenue; Kailash Chandra Misra, secretary, ministry of environment and forests; Dr R.V. Vaidyanatha Aiyar, secretary, department of women and child development; Dr S.K. Pachauri, secretary, Ayodhya commission, ministry of home affairs; Charan Das Arha, special secretary, coal.

Besides, there are Dr V.K. Agnihotri, chairman, tariff commission, industrial policy and promotion; K. Subramanya Sarma, member, Prasar Bharati, I&B ministry, Ashok Kumar Jha, member secretary, NCRB, urban development.

Naidu has even found prestigious jobs for his retired civil servants — the last cabinet secretary, T.R. Prasad, is now member, finance commission. P.S. Ramamohan, former director general of police in the state, is now Governor, Tamil Nadu. Dr C. Rangarajan, former Governor, RBI, now heads the 12th Finance Commission which will recommend sharing of resources from the Central pool of taxes between the Union and states for 2005-10. Rangarajan assumed his post the same afternoon he retired as Governor, on Jan 3, 2003.

‘‘It is quite interesting to see how Andhra officials are in ministries which are Chandrababu’s pet projects — finance, revenue, IT, disinvestment, rural development, agriculture,’’ points out a bureaucrat. ‘‘And Naidu then picks them up after their stint at the Centre for prestigious jobs in their home state.’’

Take Mohan Kanda, who was welcomed back to the state as chief secy for his outstanding contribution as secretary, agriculture. In the past two years, many states have looked on with envy as Andhra walked away with hundreds of quintals of rice and other foodgrain as part of the Centre’s largesse.

While some Andhra bureaucrats say ‘‘Babu’’ has not used his influence to its fullest, they can be accused of being rapacious if the list of bureaucrats below secretary-level is to be seen. Consider this: four additional secretaries and financial advisers in the departments of rural development, commerce, pension & public works and National Commission of Energy Resources; at least 15 joint secretaries in ministries ranging from information technology, disinvestment, defence production & supplies, coal, tribal affairs, family welfare, commerce, power and environment & forests.

So where do UP and Bihar stand today? Bihar retains some crucial posts with seven secretaries in key ministries and departments like planning commission, civil aviation, heavy industries and Central Vigilance Commission. Uttar Pradesh too manages to retain some of its stature with information technology, fertilisers, petroleum & natural gas and cabinet secretariat.

However, the twob states barely match Andhra’s strength. Bihar has just two additional secretaries in MoD and ministry of water resources while UP has six additional secretaries and chairmen of boards in power and industry. But the latter scores with at least 30 joint secretaries that hold posts in almost every crucial ministry.