That CM Kiran Kumar Reddy is not the undisputed leader of his government is not news. But at a time when Kiran seems to be getting his act together, the ‘dissident’ Ministers expressing their ire at the Cabinet meet on Wednesday was indeed unexpected.
PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana has been nursing discontent against the ways of CM in not taking him into confidence over various new policy initiatives launched by the government recently.
Botsa took on the CM head-on in the meet over the latter’s style of functioning, especially the ambitious ‘Rajiv Yuva Kiranalu’, the pet scheme of Kiran. “I am not aware of the details of the project. The Ministers don’t know what the program entails or what are the MoUs entered into”, he reportedly fumed.
Many other Ministers too expressed their dissatisfaction over being ignored on important decisions. Predictably, the 108 issue also cropped up. It may be remembered that the CM and the Health Minster D L Ravindra Reddy are not seeing eye to eye over its implementation.
Ravindra has been openly criticizing the decision to hand over the service to GVK. The latter has been complaining all too often that the government was not releasing funds to run the service smoothly.
Supporting Ravindra, Botsa said sarcastically that the 108 service should not have Rajiv picture on the bed-ridden ambulances, and CM’s picture should replace it.
Many Ministers protested at Handlooms Mininster P Shankar Rao’s frequent outbursts against his ministerial colleagues in public. “How come he is being allowed in the Cabinet while making such allegations,” Ministers including Vatti Vasanth Kumar and Mahidhar Reddy questioned.
Kiran is reported to have pacified them saying that the party high command had been briefed over Shankar Rao’s indescretions.
- Botsa leads the attack on CM
