Chandrababu Naidu to Turn His Residence into Seemandhra Camp Office

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister-designate N Chandrababu Naidu has decided to function as the new CM from his residence, according to media reports. Such an arrangement is understood to continue till the state's Secretariat is shifted from Hyderabad to the Seemandhra region.

Top bureaucrats including AP' Chief Secretary PK Mahanthi met Naidu. Naidu is understood to have told the officials that he will utilise his residence as his camp office.

The officials were with a plan to allot the Lakeview Guest House in Hyderabad as the camp office to the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh/Seemandhra. But Naidu told the officials that he will turn his residence into the camp office. Naidu has also reportedly told the officials to shift his camp office to Seemandhra region at the earliest.

However, Naidu has expressed his willingness to accept the Chief Minister's Office, being set up in the H Block of the AP Secretariat.

Congress demands waiver of farm loans, Raghuveera meets Governor

Meanwhile, Congress in Andhra Pradesh/Seemandhra on 21 May demanded Naidu to immediately write off farmer loans as he promised during the elections. 

"Before Mr. Naidu takes oath as the Chief Minister, the process of waiver of farm loans should be completed and ensure that new loans are disbursed to the farmers," The Hindu quoted Seemandhra Congress Pradesh Committee president N Raghuveera Reddy.

Reddy said this after meeting state Governor ESL Narasimhan at Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad. The Congress leader had led a party delegation to the Governor. He said that farmers, who are expecting the new government by Naidu to write off farm loans, were not repaying their loans.

"They (farmers) had not renewed the loans and because of this, the farmers are now being denied loans by banks. Failure to give clarity on loan waiver has caused this problem," Reddy said.

Reddy urged Narasimhan to ask bankers to give fresh loans to farmers till the new government takes charge in the state and write off the existing farm loans.

KCR takes up administration in Telangana

Telangana Chief Minister-designate K Chandrasekhar Rao has focused on two key sectors - power and irrigation - which are very essential for the development of the state.

Telangana is tipped to face a major shortage of power, about 5,000 mw. Even on the irrigation front, the new state is going to face a lot of limitations. Telangana will have to depend on lift irrigation. Hence, KCR has primarily focused on the two important sectors.

KCR, whose Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) won a majority of 63 seats out of the 119 seats in the new state, is now busy planning development programmes for the region. KCR is concentrating on picking up officers, with good track record and who are originally from the Telangana region.

KCR has opted Coal India Chairman S Narsing Rao, who is originally from Medak district, as the new state's Chief Secretary. He has a vast experience with the administration of the national coal organisation. KCR has also picked up officers of his choice for police and other key departments, a senior officer in KCR's coterie revealed.