Officials working in the Chief Minister’s Office should play their part in resolving problems wherever they arise in the government and ensure that governance runs smoothly. But what if the very officials in the CMO become a problem for the government? That is exactly what is happening now in Andhra Pradesh. Even though an officer in the CMO has been frequently in the news for controversial actions and putting the government in difficult situations, those in key positions in the government are behaving as if even a fly cannot touch that IAS officer. This attitude has now become a hot topic in IAS circles. Karthikeya Mishra is an officer serving as Secretary in the Andhra Pradesh CMO. A few months ago, during Chief Minister Chandrababu’s Delhi tour, he faced criticism for allegedly behaving rudely with ruling TDP’s Nandyal MP Byreddy Shabari. At that time, media reports said the MP also strongly warned the IAS officer. Although the matter reportedly reached Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, it did not lead to any significant outcome. Perhaps thinking that no one would question him, IAS officer Karthikeya Mishra has once again shown his authority, according to media reports.
The Andhra Jyothy newspaper prominently reported that Karthikeya Mishra behaved inappropriately with the Krishna District Collector as well as the SP. Since no one has reacted to this report, it appears that the matter is true. It was also widely reported in the media that during the recent visit of Supreme Court Chief Justice Justice Suryakant to Andhra Pradesh, Karthikeya Mishra spoke inappropriately. Moreover, sending shoes to the Krishna Collector through courier became highly controversial. It is said that the Chief Minister also sought a report on this issue. Official sources say the matter has been found to be true. Another key point here is that the IAS Association usually responds immediately if anyone behaves improperly with IAS officers. However, even when a CMO officer allegedly behaved inappropriately with another IAS officer and an IPS officer, the association has remained silent, which has now become a serious topic of discussion. Officials say that if the Krishna Collector or SP made any mistake, they should first be issued notices and asked for an explanation. But it is not appropriate for Karthikeya Mishra, who has no direct authority over them, to publicly criticize them and speak as he wishes.
Despite all this, a key minister in the government reportedly commented among officials that CMO Secretary Karthikeya Mishra works very hard and that creating controversies around him is not correct, which left many surprised. Since the Assembly sessions have ended, there is talk that some changes may be made in the CMO. There is now curiosity in IAS circles about whether any action will be taken against Karthikeya Mishra. A senior IAS officer expressed the view that if the government continues to ignore the issue even after all this, it will become a blot on the government’s reputation. However, some believe that since he has the backing of a powerful minister, he may not be touched. A senior minister also commented that the attitude of that key minister appears to be that they should continue doing things as they wish, without worrying about what the media or the public think. Now the question that has become interesting is what decision the Chandrababu government will take regarding Karthikeya Mishra in the coming days.