Whenever there were official meetings or party meetings or even conferences held by the previous governments in the combined Andhra Pradesh in the past, there used to be sumptuous lunch and dinner for the invitees.
In fact, when the collectors’ conferences were held at Jubilee Hall in Hyderabad whether it was during the Congress regime or the TDP regime, there used to be mad rush at the dining hall, as the lunch and dinner had mouth-watering dishes like Hyderabad biryani, different varieties of non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes, sweets and desserts.
Even after the bifurcation, the previous TDP government continued the same policy.
TDP president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu was a very good host for the officials and other delegates attending various conferences, providing sumptuous meal with a wide variety of dishes.
In Telangana, Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao still continues the practice.
Being a food lover, KCR knows how to keep the officials in good humour by offering them wonderful lunch and dinner. Even at the party meetings, he ensures that good food is served.
However, new chief minister of Andhra Pradesh and YSR Congress party president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, it appears, does not believe in this extravaganza.
He believes in simple food and does not want to waste money on hosting lunches and dinners, whether it is for his party leaders or the officials.
Soon after the formation of cabinet in the first week of June, Jagan held a meeting of all the new ministers and senior party leaders.
They naturally expected that the chief minister would host a sumptuous lunch for them. But they were stunned when they were served with just sambar rice and curd rice.
Similarly at the recent collectors’ conference and IPS officers’ conference at Praja Vedika, the officials were shocked when they got food packets on their tables even when the meeting was going on.
And Jagan told them that they could continue the meeting while having their lunch. Interestingly, he, too, got the same lunch packet on the table.
He, however, told the officials that if they were feeling embarrassed to have lunch in front of him, they could take a 15-minute break.
That is Jagan!
