The Minister of State for Coal, Dasari Narayan Rao, is a man from the world of the arts – being a former actor, director, film producer and script writer in Telugu cinema. Belonging to the powerful Kapu community of coastal Andhra Pradesh, he has a clean image. Yet, of late, the fossil fuel known as kaala sona seems to have soiled it.
Dasari recently formed a friendship with two brothers from Uttar Pradesh, who have now become the conduit for coal mafias to reach him – bypassing his Private Secretary and the Secretary to the Ministry. The PS is A A Rao of the Indian Information Service – a seasoned and straightforward man who keeps brokers at arm’s length. The Secretary of the Ministry, Harish Chandra Gupta, is an IAS officer from the UP cadre who has consistently refused to oblige favour-seekers.
So the Minister, who would apologetically tell the brokers that his PS refused to favour businessmen, decided that he had to get rid of the Secretary. The matter went to the Cabinet Secretary. And, predictably, political considerations prevailed over honesty. Sources say the Secretary is leaving to become Chairman, National Highways Authority of India. The man he is replacing there, Pradeep Kumar, is tipped to become the new Secretary in the Coal Ministry.
The catch is that Dasari cannot rejoice as the new imcumbent is again an upright IAS officer!
