New Andhra CM goes for major shake-up in administration

A day after taking oath as the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has gone for a major shake-up in the administration, shunting out the police chief and four Secretaries in the Chief Minister's Office.

As expected, Jagan Reddy carried out the rejig in the top echelons of the police department, replacing Director General of Police (DGP) R.P. Thakur with Damodar Goutam Sawang.

Thakur, who was considered close to Jagan's predecessor N. Chandrababu Naidu, was posted as Commissioner, Printing & Stationery and Stores Purchase, considered a loop posting.

Chief Secretary L.V. Subrahmanyam late Thursday issued orders appointing Sawang as the head of police force.

Sawang, who is Director, Vigilance & Enforcement Department, was given full additional charge as the new DGP. He is eventually expected to take regular charge as the state police chief.

Hours after his appointment, Sawang met Jagan Reddy at the latter's office and discussed the law and order situation in the state.

Jagan Reddy is understood to have given him necessary instructions on reshuffle in the police administration.

In another major reshuffle, the new government transferred A.B. Venkateswara Rao, Director General, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). He was directed to report to the General Administration Department for further posting.

Kumar Vishwajeet, Additional Director General, Intelligence, was given full additional charge as Director General, ACB, until further orders.

Venkateswara Rao was Additional Director General, Intelligence, when the Election Commission shunted him out in April following a complaint by Jagan's YSR Congress Party that he was supporting the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

The new government also shunted out four IAS officials from the Chief Minister's Office.

They are Satish Chandra, Special Chief Secretary to CM, G. Sai Prasad, Principal Secretary to CM, M. Girija Shankar and Adusimilli V. Rajamouli, both Secretaries to CM. They were directed to report to General Administration for further postings.

Solomon Arokia Raj, Secretary, Industries & Commerce Department, was posted as Secretary to the Chief Minister. Shamsher Singh Rawat, Principal Secretary to Government, Social Welfare, was transferred and posted as Principal, Finance Secretary.

P. Krishna Mohan Reddy, Special Grade Deputy Collector (Retd), was appointed as Officer on Special Duty to the Chief Minister.

All the orders were issued by Chief Secretary Subrahmanyam, who is likely to continue on the top post.

He was appointed as Chief Secretary by the Election Commission after shunting out A.C. Punetha on charges of allegedly defying the poll panel's order on transfer of some officials.

--IANS

ms/mr