VIJAYAWADA: With the dawn of the New Year, Andhra Pradesh will have a new chief secretary (CS) and Director General of Police (DGP) as both the incumbent CS, Neerab Kumar Prasad, and DGP, Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao, are set to retire on December 31. Sources said that the new appointments are likely to be made on the same day.
Three senior IAS officers, K Vijayanand, Sai Prasad, and R P Sisodia, are in the race for the CS position. Sources said that Vijayanand is the front runner for the coveted post, though he is junior to the rest of the two. In fact, in the seniority list, Vijayanand is in 7th place. Ahead of Vijayanand, a 1992 batch IAS officer, Y Srilakshmi from the 1988 batch, G Ananta Ramu from the 1990 batch, G Sai Prasad, Ajay Jain, Sisodia, and Sumita Dawra from the 1991 batch are ahead of Vijayanand in terms of seniority.
While Srilakshmi’s name was ruled out for various reasons, Ananta Ramu’s name is also not being considered, according to the sources. Sumita Dawra is on central deputation, and Ajay Jain does not have the same kind of connection he used to have with chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu. This leaves Vijayanand, Sai Prasad, and Sisodia, who are also heading key departments now.
Though Vijayanand is junior to others in terms of service, he is elder to all of them and is set to retire in November 2025. On the other hand, Sai Prasad has service until May 2026, and Sisodia, who is the youngest amongst all, has service up to 2028. Taking the age factor into consideration and to accommodate all in the CS role, Naidu has decided to give a chance to Vijayanand first.
However, the recent controversies surrounding the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) deal with Adani and alleged bribes are likely to affect the chances of Vijayanand, as he was at the helm of the energy department when the deal was struck. He is also holding the same portfolio.
Sai Prasad, presently the special chief secretary for the water resources department, is facing allegations of siding with the previous govt. However, he has good relations with Naidu, and he was given the key responsibility of the water resources and Polavaram project.
Being the youngest among all, Sisodia has more than three years of service left. This has made him wait for the top job as Naidu took an accommodative stand. The state govt is likely to give orders appointing the new CS in a day or two.
When it comes to the post of DGP, Harish Kumar Gupta may again get a chance to head the police force. Harish is presently working as director general of vigilance and enforcement. He was appointed as DGP by the Election Commission of India during the recent polls and continued for about two months as DGP in the present govt.
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