Telangana govt acts against IAS officers who were close to KCR, KTR

The new Congress government in Telangana is acting against IAS officers who held key positions and were responsible for controversial decisions in the ousted BRS government led by K Chandrasekhar Rao and his son KT Ramarao.

Last week, Smita Sabharwal (2001 batch), a high-profile OSD in former chief minister KCR's office, was transferred out to the little-known State Finance Corporation as the secretary.

On Tuesday, a notice has been slapped on Arvind Kumar, who was special chief secretary in the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) which was held by KT Ramarao, son of KCR in the previous government.

Arvind Kumar, a 55-year-old 1991 batch officer, held enormous influence in the previous government due to his proximity with the second-in-command.

The main charge against Arvind Kumar was why the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) had to fork out Rs 55 crore for electronic car racing (Hyderabad E Prix) without administrative sanction.

Shunted out

Earlier, Arvind Kumar was shifted out of MA&UD and posted as Special Chief Secretary of Disaster Management, a wing of the revenue department reserved for unwanted officers.

The showcause notice issued by Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari sought an explanation in a week.

A memo bearing Number 350 raised eight questions about violations committed when the HMDA entered the agreement with the event organisers.

Probing questions

Why was a tripartite agreement entered with a private company regarding Formula E against the rules? Why did HMDA act as a promoter without consulting the government?

Why was the agreement revised with the Formula-E Organisation (FEO) after the election code of conduct came into force?

Why did HMDA have to bear a financial burden of Rs 46 crore and a tax of Rs 9 crore without the approval of the Board of Directors of HMDA or the approval of the state government’s finance department?

Warning issued

The chief secretary has warned of further action if a satisfactory explanation doesn’t come within a week.

When KTR was the minister for MA&UD, Arvind Kumar ruled the roost. He was the most publicised officer in the entire government. His proximity to KTR, who was touted as the next chief minister, gave him enormous influence in Hyderabad as the HMDA was the biggest land owner in the state.

It is generally believed that KTR was the de facto chief minister and Arvind Kumar was his Man Friday.

Event axed

On Saturday, Formula-E India (FEI) announced the cancellation of the second season of Formula-E car racing in Hyderabad. It is stated that this decision was taken due to the lack of response from the new government of Telangana.

The international competition was to be held on February 11 at the Necklace Road Street Circuit. The length of this street track is 2.6 km. This track was chosen around Hussain Sagar, Lumbini Park and NTR Park.

The FEI has accused the government of breaching the agreement reached on October 30 last year on organising the Formula One competition. The FEO said that notices will be served to the Telangana Municipal and Urban Development (MAUD) Department for severing the contract.

Traffic chaos

The Revanth Reddy government is reluctant to organise the show because it feels that there is no benefit from these competitions.

The FE event's first season was held on February 10 and 11 last year around Hyderabad's Necklace Road. For these competitions, HMDA reportedly spent more than Rs 100 crore as it was the dream of the minister KTR to host the event in the Telangana capital.

A few days before the 2023 event, the city traffic suffered chaos. All roads leading to the racing track were heavily congested due to traffic diversions at multiple points. The public was angry over the restrictions as they caused long traffic delays and even resulted in a confrontation between the public and the police.

Mismanagement charges

With severe traffic jams occurring due to restrictions around the track in the city center, some civilian vehicles managed to enter the race area breaking the barricades. The government faced widespread criticism for its inadequate management of the traffic situation.

However, the KCR government proceeded with the event as it had generated excitement among the city's youth. Talking about the government decision that led to the cancellation of the event, KTR called it a poor and regressive step.

Why E-Prix?

“Events like Hyderabad E-Prix enhance the brand image of our City and Country across the world,” KTR wrote on X.

“We had put in a lot of effort and time to bring Formula E-Prix for the first time to India. It will help to promote the city of Hyderabad to the world as an attractive investment destination in the international market.”

“The KCR government has used the Formula-E Race as an occasion to organise a week-long EV Summit attracting enthusiasts, manufacturers and start-ups from the field of electronic vehicles,” KTR said.

Reviewing decisions

The new government wants to review all controversial decisions taken by the departments overseen by former Chief Minister KCR and his minister-son KTR during the BRS regime.

Now the government wants to make public how decision-making in the previous government was influenced by the personal interests of the father-son duo.