DS Special Advisor To Telangana, Gets Cabinet Rank

The Telangana government today appointed former minister Dharmapuri Srinivas, who joined the TRS recently, as Special Advisor to it to deal with inter-state affairs in the rank of a Cabinet minister, initially for a period of one year.

Speaking on this occasion, Srinivas said Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had assigned this onerous responsibility to him keeping full faith in him.

"I will perform my duties up to the expectations of the Chief Minister," he said.

There was a need to clear some issues with some states after the bifurcation of united AP, he said, adding that he would work to fructify the efforts of the Chief Minister.

The Special Advisor will be drawing a salary of Rs one lakh, and get a rent allowance of Rs 50,000, conveyance allowance of Rs 30,000 and fuel allowance of Rs 15,000. He will also get medical reimbursement on par with AIS officers and ministers, and will be eligible for claiming TA/DA from the date of assuming office.

The Special Advisor will be provided with a private secretary, one DEO, two office staff, a driver with a vehicle, a telephone at his residence and a cell phone connection by the GAD.

The KCR dispensation already has six advisors - R Vidyasagar Rao, K V Ramana Chary, Papa Rao, Ram Lakshman, G R Reddy and A K Goel. This is perhaps the first instance of a Special Advisor post being given by any government to accommodate a political leader. KCR seems to have accorded this status to DS in recognition of his long political career, acumen and knack.

Srinivas was unhappy in the Congress and resented AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh denying him an MLC post. He had played a key role in getting the Congress into power in undivided Andhra Pradesh in association with the then Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.