K Chandrasekhar Rao races to form top team of bureaucrats for Telangana
Hyderabad: Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K. Chandrasekhar Rao is racing against time to fill the top slots in the Telangana government. With June 2, the appointed date for formation Telangana state, fast approaching, Mr Rao is focusing on filling the top posts of chief secretary, director general of police, intelligence chief and Hyderabad city police commissioner.
Sources close to Mr Rao told Deccan Chronicle that Visakhapatnam city police commissioner B. Shivdhar Reddy, a 1994 batch IPS officer from Ranga Reddy district is tipped to become the new intelligence chief. An upright officer with a clean track record, Mr Shivdhar Reddy has been shifted to Telangana and has been told to report to the DGP, indicating a new posting. Mr Mahender Reddy, currently intelligence chief, is likely to be the new Hyderabad city police commissioner.
For the top slot of chief secretary, Mr Rao has reportedly zeroed in on V. Nagi Reddy, a 1984 batch IAS officer. Mr Nagi Reddy, though, will have to supersede several officers to bag the post, including Ms Chandana Khan who is trying hard to get the coveted post. Hyderabad city police commissioner Anurag Sharma is tipped to become the next DGP.
“The names of Mr Nagi Reddy, Mr Anurag Sharma, Mr Mahender Reddy and Mr Shivdhar Reddy have been almost cleared. A lot of homework was done before zeroing in on these officers,” sources disclosed.
Also in the running for important posts are the eight retired IAS and IPS officers who joined the TRS and are politburo members. They are part of Mr Rao’s think-tank and provided vital data pertaining to various departments for the bifurcation of the state and the fight for Telangana rights. The TRS is the only party in the state to have a large number of retired top-notch officers in its ranks, including former DGP P. Ramulu.
Dr K.V. Ramanachary, who retired as principal secretary, endowments, and held several key posts including executive officer of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, is playing an active role in the party. He conducted the recent TRS Legislature Party meeting along with T. Harish Rao, Etala Rajender and Nayani Narasimha Reddy.
In fact, there is talk in party circles that he will get to contest the Medak Lok Sabha seat that will fall vacant after Mr Rao vacates it and retains the Gajwel Assembly seat after being sworn in as Chief Minister.
Other retired officers who are in Mr Rao’s team are A.K. Goyal, A. Rama Laxman, Mr Ramachandrudu, Dr S Chellappa, IPS officer Mr Jayachandra, retired chief engineer and irrigation expert, and Mr R. Vidyasagar Rao, retired chief engineer, Central Water Commission.
