Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh chief minister-in-waiting N. Chandrababu Naidu’s old team of bureaucrats from when he was chief minister earlier has been reassembled to serve the state once again. With Mr Naidu set to be the CM again, he wants senior IAS officers who worked in his peshi earlier to serve as collectors and departmental heads.
Former IAS officers S.V. Prasad, M. Samba Siva Rao and Bala Subrahmanyam will get important posts in the CM’s peshi. After retirement, Mr Rao was appointed chairman of Heritage Foods, owned by Mr Naidu.
Former IAS officer M. Samba Siva Rao is to be appointed government adviser in the new government. Sources say Mr Rao is drawing up a list of other IAS officers who will be part of the new government. “Samba Siva Rao is very useful to Chandrababu Naidu at the present juncture,” said an IAS officer. For the chief secretary’s post Mr Naidu is considering the names of senior IAS officers I.V. Subba Rao and I.Y.R. Krishna Rao. Sources say Mr Rao has the edge.
Mr Prasad, another retired IAS officer, was Mr Naidu’s personal secretary when he was chief minister. He is chairman of the Vigilance Commission currently. Mr Naidu, who has said he wants to concentrate on reforms in government, will give this responsibility to Mr Prasad, who will be appointed chairman of the Reforms Committee, a newly created post.
Another IAS officer Bala Subrahmanyam, will also be given important responsibilities in the new government. He played a key role in the preparation of the TD manifesto in the recent elections. The YSR Congress has held that one of the reasons for the Telugu Desam’s victory in the recent elections was its manifesto.
