The coalition government in Andhra Pradesh led by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has completed seven months, and the government claims significant achievements and progress on election promises.
Naidu, who has been obtaining intelligence reports from the field about the public perception about his government, seems to be a little disappointed with the performance of younger ministers, compared to seniors, leading to discontent among the people of their constituencies.
At a recent party meeting, the chief minister is learnt to have discussed satisfaction levels across districts and assigned critical responsibilities to in-charge ministers.
According to sources, Naidu observed that though he had tried to encourage the new and young members by taking them into the cabinet, the expected vigour is lacking in them despite giving opportunities.
Out of 24 ministers in the current cabinet, six are senior, and 18 are first-time ministers.
Naidu expressed frustration over the lack of initiative among younger ministers and questioned their commitment to reaching out to the public.
He reportedly warned that poor performance by young ministers could lead to losses and urged them to take command of their departments and work effectively with officials.
While highlighting the coalition's accomplishments within a short span of seven months, he criticized ministers for failing to communicate these to the public effectively.
Sources said Naidu presented district-wise satisfaction reports before the ministers.
The reports revealed that Krishna, Chittoor, and NTR districts topped the list, while Kadapa, Alluri Sitarama Raju, and East Godavari ranked lowest.
He referred to the example of minister Kondapalli Srinivas, as an underperforming leader. Though Kondapalli transitioned from the IT sector to become a politician, he has failed to live up to the expectations of the people by not showing enough enthusiasm.
Naidu emphasized the need for better coordination among district-level officials, including in-charge ministers, MPs, and collectors.
He also expressed anger at leaders who were absent from the meeting, promising to dedicate more time to party work.
