Telangana likely to clip wings of revenue officials

HYDERABAD: In a bid to curtail role of revenue officials, the Telangana government is mulling appointing non-revenue officials wherever possible as additional collectors (local bodies) in districts.
The government had created additional collector (AC) (local bodies) posts early this year to focus on functioning of local bodies gram panchayats and municipalities. The other ACs take care of subjects like revenue and civil supplies.As of now, except Hyderabad, other 32 districts have additional collectors (local bodies).
Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is reportedly unhappy with the revenue department especially in the wake of a series of bribery cases, where top level officials were involved. Sources said the government is contemplating to appoint senior officials from other department like municipal, panchayat raj department as additional collectors (local bodies) because they worked as senior municipal commissioners and district panchayat officers.
On experiment basis, a senior municipal official of additional director cadre, D Johan Samson, was appointed as AC (local bodies) in Medchal-Malkajgiri district. “Of 32 posts, nearly 25 additional collector (local bodies) are from the revenue department and the rest are junior IAS officers. Gazetted officers and Group I officers from other departments have been demanding that the government either create Telangana Administrative Service (TAS) on the lines of states like Kerala, Gujarat, Odisha and Tamil Nadu or post them in the district-level posts like ACs,” a senior official told TOI.
Telangana Gazetted Officers’ (TGO) association president V Mamata said they had urged the state to utilise the services of senior officials in various departments at district-level posts. In fact, these officials interact more with people on a daily basis, she said.
She said if non-revenue officials were appointed as additional collectors (local bodies) it would address the issues of officials from non-revenue department and the revenue department’s role would remain confined to only revenue matters.
“Senior municipal officers of above selection grade can be appointed as AC (local bodies) as they have experience in activities of local bodies. Even panchayat raj department officials can also be considered for AC posts,” Telangana Municipal Commissioners Association president T Krishna Mohan Reddy told TOI.