Secret surveys trigger unease among Telangana Ministers and MLAs

Secret performance surveys and constant monitoring have reportedly upset a section of Telangana Ministers and senior MLAs, fuelling internal tensions ahead of a possible Cabinet expansion and reshuffle. Some leaders fear the findings could be used selectively to weaken their influence.

Hyderabad: Constant surveillance and secret performance surveys are said to be leaving a section of Ministers and senior MLAs unhappy, widening cracks within the State Cabinet amid speculation over a Cabinet expansion and reshuffle.

With talk of a Cabinet expansion and reshuffle doing the rounds in Gandhi Bhavan for the past few months, the purpose behind the proposed surveys has come under scrutiny. Officially aimed at gathering public feedback on the implementation of welfare and development programmes, the surveys are reportedly being conducted discreetly by the State leadership.

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As the Congress government completes two-and-a-half years in office, sources in the Secretariat said the leadership was considering another round of internal surveys. The exercise is understood to be aimed at assessing coordination among Ministers, MLAs and the party cadre at the grassroots level, besides covering other aspects.

According to party sources, there have been repeated complaints that some Ministers, particularly those serving as in-charge Ministers for erstwhile districts, were not interacting regularly with local party workers or visiting their assigned districts frequently.

However, a section of Ministers and senior MLAs has reportedly expressed reservations over the practice of conducting such surveys without their knowledge. Their concerns add to the dissatisfaction already brewing over what they describe as increasing intervention by the Chief Minister’s Office in departmental affairs.

The unease became evident during the recent controversy over tenders floated by the Social Welfare Department for the procurement of trunk boxes, utensils, school bags and other items. The Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi had alleged that some Ministers were kept in the dark while key decisions and orders were issued without their knowledge.

Against this backdrop, some leaders fear that the findings of the surveys could be used selectively to portray certain Ministers and senior MLAs as underperformers, especially at a time when constituencies continue to grapple with fund constraints despite the rollout of welfare programmes.

“Given the financial constraints affecting constituency-level development, the surveys could paint an unfavourable picture. There are apprehensions that the findings may be used to curtail the influence of some Ministers and senior leaders,” a senior Congress leader said on condition of anonymity.

Another section within the party, however, defended the exercise, arguing that internal performance assessments are a routine feature of governance irrespective of the party in power. They maintained that such surveys help the government identify weak areas in programme implementation and improve coordination between the administration and the party organisation.