POOR ‘PARAKAYA’PRABHAKAR!

The AP Journo Circles are abuzz with the tittle-tattle that the newly appointed Commissioner of I&PR, Dr. P. Krishnamohan had a ‘Body Swap’ (Parakaya Pravesham) with the Media Advisor of the AP Govt., Parakala Prabhakar. TDP leaders have been passing a tongue-in-cheek remark on Prabhakar that the only qualification he possesses is having a wife who happens to be a Union Minister. The Yellow Lot is fuming over Parakala for ‘slighting and humiliating’ the State’s ministers. Babu had been showering excessive significance on Parakala by taking him along during every foreign tour, they lament. This led Prabhakar to cultivate a haughty attitude, Senior Yelowists grieve.

MINISTER, A MERE PUPPET!

Minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy was not more than a marionette at Parakala’s disposal all along. Prabhakar’s word was an order during Ramana Reddy’s tenure as the Commissioner of I&PR. As Palle was also acting soft, for reasons known only to him, Parakala operated as the Minister de facto. It has been proved many a time that Parakala is the sole ‘all powerful heavyweight’ in the ministry of I&PR. All this led to the whispering campaign against Parakala which culminated in an overhaul of Information ministry at the behest of the CM.

NEW SET-UP AND NEWER METHODS

With Ramanareddy’s exit and Dr. Krishna Mohan’s entry the balance of powers in the ministry tilted against the interests of Parakala. Soon after his additional appointment as I&PR Commissioner, Krishna Mohan took up the process of reforming and refurbishing the I&PR ministry. The ‘Power’ of managing the CM’s affairs, which was resting with Parakala till then, was appropriated promptly by the Commissioner. Hitherto all press releases related to AP CM wre to be sent in the name of media advisor; they are all now sent through the I&PR ministry. Hereafter one will not find the familiar ‘from address’ – “Media advisor, CMO” – in these press releases.