Hyderabad: Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao has expressed utter shock over Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reprimanding a district collector for being unable to provide her an answer to what was the Centre and state’s share of rice supplied through fair price shops.
Mr Rama Rao, popularly known as KTR, said that such conduct of people holding high offices will only “demoralise hardworking AIS officers”.
Mr Rama Rao, in a tweet on Friday night, said, “I am appalled by the unruly conduct of FM @nsitharaman today with District Magistrate/Collector of Kamareddy”.
“These political histrionics on the street will only demoralise hardworking AIS officers,” he added.
“My compliments to @Collector_KMR Jitesh V Patil, IAS on his dignified conduct,” he further tweeted.
I am appalled by the unruly conduct of FM @nsitharaman today with District Magistrate/Collector of Kamareddy
These political histrionics on the street will only demoralise hardworking AIS officers
My compliments to @Collector_KMR Jitesh V Patil, IAS on his dignified conduct 👏
— KTR (@KTRBRS) September 2, 2022
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday publicly reprimanded the collector of Kamareddy district Jitesh Patil as she asked him the Centre’s and the state’s share of the rice in fair price shops. “Not at all. You are an officer of the Indian Administrative Service, belonging to the Telangana cadre…You are telling me the state is giving Rs 34? Excuse me! You want to think about your answer,” the finance minister said.
“You think about it and within half an hour before my address to the media give me the answer so that I can tell them that even if the Collector could not answer my question immediately,.. he struggled and got the information,” Sitharaman said to the collector.
Telangana BJP leaders shared the video and claimed that the IAS officer did not know that the Centre provides Rs 28 of the rs 35 Kg rice which beneficiaries get at rs 1 and the state government provides rs 6. The collector told the finance minister the state government’s share is rs 34.
Sitahraman also asked the collector why the picture of PM Modi was not there at the fair price shop she visited. “You will as the district administrator ensure that the flexis are not be removed, that shall not be torn, that shall not be affected,” Sitharaman said. “If a banner is not there, I will come to this place again,” she added.
