Ministers seem to be panicking over the decision of the Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to attach an MBA graduate to each minister. They are particularly uncertain about their role and capabilities to assist a minister.
On the other hand, ministers also seem to be confused over the Chief Minister’s another announcement in the recent cabinet meeting that he will issue `Progress Cards’ on the performance of each minister after 100 days of the government. During his earlier term also he issued such `Progress Cards’, but hardly helped in improving their performance. Moreover, many felt such cards were farm from reality.
It may be recalled that Chandrababu Naidu has gained an image of `Chief Executive Officer’, rather than a `Chief Minister’ at national level, whenever he is in power. His excessive dependence on consultants and officials rather than politicians keeps him away from ground realities several times.
However, his `CEO Image’ was lost after bifurcation of the state, as it did not have a city like Hyderabad, besides absence of an influential IT sector. His assuming office for the second time in the bifurcated state, most of his decisions are giving indication that he is striving hard to regain his image of `CEO’.
More particularly his decision to appoint MBA graduates attaching to all the ministers in his cabinet, indicating that he is intended to depend more on `business graduates’, who are normally without any practical knowledge.
Naturally ministers always have PSs or OSDs. When it comes to IAS, there is a Chief Secretary/Secretary in the respective departments. Now, what will the newly appointed MBA graduates do with each minister’s chamber? Will MBA graduates have any effect on governance? Are the questions going around official circles.
Many felt that proposed graduates will have direct access to IT Minister Nara Lokesh and in a way they will act like a spy against their respective minister. During 2014 to 2019 also each minister was attached by a young activist as PRO, who earlier worked with TDP’s PR team and was directly attached to Nara Lokesh. But they failed to help in building the image of the government.
Now, there are suspicions among TDP leaders as well as Jana Sena leaders on the role of these MBA graduates. If they helps ministers in preparing notes and reports, they may be supportive to them. But if they are intended to play `political role’ will certainly lead to `conflict of interests’.