Hyderabad: The AP government can now select its Director-General of Police (DGP) on its own without sending a list of probables to the Union Public Service Commission. After a recent Cabinet decision, the Government issued an ordinance on Tuesday amending the AP Police Reforms Act just before the retirement of DGP N.Sambasiva Rao on December 31.
The Cabinet decided to withdraw the 2014 Police Act to make way for DGP selection on its own without Central intervention. UPSC recently rejected three names suggested by Andhra Pradesh government for selection and appointment of the DGP. The commission told the state government that it was against the Supreme Court judgement to choose officers who were on the verge of retirement and the term should be for at least two years.
After the retirement of J.V. Ramudu in July 2016, there was no appointment of a DGP on regular basis. It was recently that the state government appointed incharge DGP Sambasiva Rao as regular DGP. The UPSC rejection of names sent had led to change in the Act. Sources said the state government had been awaiting the Governor’s approval for the ordinance.
Sources said the Sambasiva Rao was not interested in continuing in the post after retirement. The state government would have to choose one of the senior IPS officers. Among them, the tenure of S Venkata Ramana Murthy and M. Malakondaiah would not go beyond a year. V.S.K. Kaumudi, RP Thakur, Gautam Sawang and Vinay Ranjan Ray were in the top list on the basis of seniority. Sources close to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said it was not yet clear whether he would consider those who had less than a year’s service left. They added that Sambasiva Rao would be given an important assignment.
