Chief ministers (CMs) of various states are spending enormous amounts of money on advisors, external advisors and officers on special duty (OSDs) under the guise of development, but doing nothing but making money for themselves and their cronies. This is a serious misuse of public funds that could be better spent on improving the lives of the people.
According to a recent report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), CMs of 15 states have appointed 297 advisors and OSDs, costing the exchequer more than Rs 200 crore per year. These advisors and OSDs enjoy perks and privileges such as official vehicles, accommodation, security and travel allowances, without any accountability or transparency.
Some of the worst offenders are:
- Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, who has 52 advisors and OSDs, the highest among all states. He has also created a new post of "political pension advisor" for his close aide Sunil Bansal, who gets a monthly salary of Rs 2.5 lakh.
- Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, who has 46 advisors and OSDs, including his relatives and party workers. He has also appointed former bureaucrats and police officers as advisors, who get hefty pensions in addition to their salaries.
- Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, who has 38 advisors and OSDs, including his son Vaibhav Gehlot, who is also the president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association. He has also given cabinet rank to some of his advisors, who get the same benefits as ministers.
- Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, who has 23 advisors and OSDs, including his media advisor Raveen Thukral, who gets a monthly salary of Rs 2.5 lakh. He has also appointed former Congress leaders and MLAs as advisors, who get a monthly allowance of Rs 1 lakh.
- Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has over 30 advisors and OSDs, costing the exchequer more than Rs 200 crore per year. These advisors and OSDs enjoy perks and privileges such as official vehicles, accommodation, security and travel allowances, without any accountability or transparency. Some of them are his relatives, party workers, former bureaucrats and police officers, and even a “political pension advisor” for his close aide.
These CMs claim that they need advisors and OSDs to help them in governance and policy making, but the reality is that they are using them as political tools and personal assistants. Many of these advisors and OSDs have no expertise or experience in the fields they are assigned to, and some of them are even facing criminal charges.
Meanwhile, the public is suffering from lack of basic amenities and services, such as health, education, water, electricity, roads and sanitation. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the poor state of the public health system, which is overwhelmed by the rising cases and deaths. The economic slowdown has also affected the livelihoods and incomes of millions of people, who are struggling to make ends meet.
The CMs should stop wasting money on advisors and OSDs, and focus on the real issues and challenges facing the people. They should also be held accountable for their spending and performance, and disclose the details and qualifications of their advisors and OSDs to the public. The people have the right to know how their money is being used, and by whom.
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