Bureaucratic corruption rampant in Naidu govt?

The political circles in Andhra Pradesh are buzzing with the reports that certain IAS officers in the Telugu Desam Party-led coalition government are making big money through corrupt practices, particularly by fleecing contractors.

According to reports in a section of media, two IAS officers holding highly influential positions in the government are said to have amassed more than Rs 300 crore within the last 18 months alone.

One of the officers is attached to a crucial line department, while the other is posted in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

Sources said the ruling party leadership is well aware of the corrupt practices of these officials, but is silent maybe due to a share in the booty.

Sources said the two IAS officers jointly collected a commission of around 6.5 per cent on contractor bill payments in Kadapa district. These collections were allegedly linked to payments totalling nearly Rs 500 crore. 

According to a source, the officers collected hefty commissions for clearing the bills for an initial amount of Rs 122 crore, followed by payments amounting to nearly Rs 360 crore.

Reliable insiders claim that what initially began as a joint operation by the two IAS officers later expanded to include certain key political leaders as well.

A senior IAS officer, speaking informally, expressed shock at the scale of the alleged collections.

“If such staggering amounts were made from a single set of bill payments, one can only imagine the magnitude of collections across other departments and activities,” the officer remarked.

The alleged profiteering at the top is also said to have triggered a cascading effect within the bureaucracy. Officials working under these senior officers allegedly followed suit, launching their own collection mechanisms. 

In one key department, an officer closely associated with a senior IAS functionary is said to have amassed crores of rupees, and is now believed to be playing a central role in managing the broader operation.

These allegations come as a significant embarrassment to the coalition government led by Naidu, which had promised clean and transparent governance, but without evidence, the government is not able to act, sources said.