It looks like YSR Congress party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has decided to keep complete control over his council of ministers without giving them any freedom to act according to their whims and fancies.
It was evident from the way Jagan issued orders curtailing the freedom of ministers to appoint their personal assistants (PAs), besides private secretary (PS), Officers on Special Duty (OSDs) and additional private secretaries in their ministries.
An order to this effect was issued by Ajeya Kallam, principal advisor to the chief minister on Tuesday evening. He said any appointment of these staff members would be done only after getting clearance from Jagan.
He further said those officials and PAs, who had worked with the ministers in the previous Telugu Desam Party government, would not be allowed to work in the new government.
Even the security personnel would be allotted to them only after getting clearance from the chief minister.
The decision is being viewed as a symbol of Jagan’s autocratic rule, but sources said the decision had been taken only to prevent irregularities in the ministries.
There were several occasions in the past when the PAs and PSs of the ministers indulged in large scale corruption with or without the knowledge of the ministers.
And there were instances of these officials leaking the official information to the opposition leaders at a cost.
So, Jagan wants to ensure that officials with credibility be appointed in such posts, sources said.
