Ensure my exit is not seen negatively: Chandra to state

Senior IAS officer K. Pradeep Chandra, who stepped down on December 31 after serving for only a month as Chief Secretary, openly expressed his displeasure at not getting an extension of service. He said: “I came in as a one-down batsman and unfortunately got run out without my fault.”

Mr Chandra, the first Dalit IAS officer in TS to hold the CS post, urged the government to ensure that his leaving the office in this manner within a month should not send a message that somebody committed, competent and honest will not be rewarded.

The state government organised a farewell function for Mr Chandra in the Secretariat on Wednesday.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao skipped the function, while ministers Kadiam Srihari, Nayani Narasimha Reddy, K.T. Rama Rao and Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, along with IAS officers and Secretariat staff, were present.

Mr Chandra said: “My sincere request to government representatives here is that not to let it (his retirement) be seen as a message that somebody who is committed, competent and honest will not be rewarded… The government has to make positive statements, otherwise we may be demoralising the entire lot of young officers on this issue.”

His comments in the presence of ministers and IAS offices created a flutter.

The officer was forced to retire after the Centre refused to extend his term by three months as sought by the state government and the CM.

Mr Chandra’s predecessor Rajiv Sharma got two extensions of three months each due to which he lost six months of his tenure and was left with only one month of service when he was appointed CS on November 30.