The Andhra Pradesh MEO-1 Association has urged the State government to grant self-drawing powers to Mandal Education Officers-I (MEO-1s), citing that the absence of such powers is affecting their ability to effectively discharge their responsibilities.

In a statement on Sunday (July 12, 2026), A.P. MEO-1 Association State president Samala Simhachalam requested the government to issue orders empowering MEO-1s with self-drawing powers. He said MEO-1s function as Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) for nearly 200 teachers working in primary and upper primary schools in their respective mandals. Despite holding gazetted posts and heading the Mandal Education Department, they had not been granted self-drawing powers, which, he said, had become a matter of concern and self-respect for the cadre.

He pointed out that the government had already extended self-drawing powers to headmasters of high schools, who supervise comparatively fewer staff members, while MEO-1s continue to function without similar authority.

Mr. Simhachalam said the issue had been brought to the notice of Education Minister Nara Lokesh on several occasions. Although the Minister had responded positively, no orders had been issued so far.

The association also alleged that in some districts, District Educational Officers (DEOs) were assigning duties to MEO-1s that were not in accordance with the prescribed job chart, creating administrative difficulties.

Mr. Simhachalam, along with the association’s State general secretary B. Ravi Nayak, urged the government to resolve the long-pending issues concerning MEO-1s at the earliest.