HYDERABAD: In the wake of the DoPT ordering transfer of in the wake of Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar’s to Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday discussed appointing new IAS officers for revenue generating departments.
According to sources, orders appointing new officers will be issued shortly, as the State was in bad need of funds to implement the welfare schemes in election year.Hitherto, Somesh Kumar held all the key revenue generating portfolios like Commercial Taxes, Stamps and Registrations, Revenue and Excise.
Though Goods and Services Tax (GST), Excise and Stamps and Registration collections increased considerably during the tenure of Somesh Kumar, the State government is now facing shortage of funds due to the conditions imposed by the Union government on raising market borrowings under Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act (FRBM). The shortfall in revenue to the State due to the economic restrictions imposed by the Centre is around Rs 40,000 crore this year.
In this backdrop, Rao focused on the revenue generating departments and held a preliminary discussion with some officials. It remains to be seen whether he will ask new Chief Secretary Santhi Kumar to look after some of the departments.
The State government requires additional funds to implement the pending welfare schemes like giving Rs 3 lakh for construction of houses to those having their own house sites and others. Though the chief minister thought of convening the Assembly session in the last week of December to discuss the State’s financial situation, the Legislature was not summoned.