Finance Secy K Ramakrishna Rao flooded with scores of govt staff

Hyderabad: Special Chief Secretary (Finance) K Ramakrishna Rao has these days become the most sought-after person by the government employees from districts.

Rao, who is busy with budget preparation and has to race against time, is facing a long queue of employees waiting outside his chambers every evening seeking solution to their problems like pending medical bills, release of PF and gratuity, etc, and other issues. Some of the representatives of the contract agencies were also approaching the Finance Secretary for the release of long-pending bills.

The Finance Secretary is flooded with requests to clear the bills. But the financial constraints have become a big hurdle for the government to clear the bills. While on an average about 30 visitors are found in front of the minister’s chambers during the visiting hours from 3pm to 5 pm, over 70 people queue up on hectic days to meet the Finance Secretary expressing their grievances.

Employees said the previous government had withdrawn powers given to the district authorities to release funds directly to the applicants in view of the financial crisis and had authorised only the Finance Secretary to clear the bills based on availability of funds and hence this problem.

The previous government has also restricted the movement of people in the Secretariat. Ever since the new government opened its doors for visitors in the Secretariat, the employees and contractors are flooding the Finance Secretary’s chambers.

The employees urged the government to lift the ban on releasing funds by the district officials. Coming to Hyderabad was becoming a problem for them. Sometimes, they would have to stay in the city for three to four days taking leave from their workplace, they said.