Telangana Minister K T Rama Rao has expressed shock over Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reprimanding a District Collector for being unable to provide her an answer to what was the Centre and State's share of rice supplied through fair price shops, and said such conduct of people holding high offices will only 'demoralise hardworking AIS officers.'

Rama Rao, in a tweet on Friday night, said, "I am appalled by the unruly conduct of FM @nsitharaman today with District Magistrate/Collector of Kamareddy.

These political histrionics on the street will only demoralise hardworking AIS officers."

"My compliments to @Collector_KMR Jitesh V Patil, IAS on his dignified conduct," he tweeted.

During the inspection of a PDS ration shop in Birkoor, the Union Minister had also asked Jitesh Patil as to why the picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was missing there.

She said since March-April 2020, the Centre has been providing rice priced at Rs 30-Rs 35 free of cost without the State government and the beneficiaries having to contribute anything.

Sitharaman was in the state attending various programmes in Zaheerabad Parliamentary Constituency as part of BJP's 'Lok Sabha PravasYojana'.