VISAKHAPATNAM: More than 100 days after the transfer of B Shivadhar Reddy as chief of intelligence in Telangana State, the Visakhapatnam city Police Commissionerate remains headless as the state government still has not reached any conclusion over the upgradation of the police commissioner’s post to additional DG rank. The delay in finalisation of the allocation of cadres to IPS officials too has turned out to be another obstacle for the authorities in appointing the new police commissioner.
Speculation is rife over the next police boss for the largest city in Andhra Pradesh, even as the top guns in the government have kept mum. Senior IPS officers of additional DG rank like VSK Kaumudi, N Sambasiva Rao, J Poornachandra Rao and Dwaraka Tirumala Rao are said to be considered for the post, but none of them are learnt to be interested.
The city has no full-time police commissioner for nearly four months now and Coastal Andhra zone IG Atul Singh, who was given additional charge as the police commissioner, has been allotted to Telangana State as per the allotments made by the Centre. This has only complicated the matter further.
Sources said that the state government is keen on upgrading the commissioner’s post to additional director general of police status. “As the limits of Greater Visakhapatnam have been expanded up to Bheemili and Anakapalle, the upgradation of the post is inevitable with additional police stations. But these decisions cannot be taken in a hasty manner. Besides, the state government is mulling a complete re-haul of the police system in the city which is touted to become the economic capital of the state,” said sources in the Home department.
In the wake of the Vijayawada Police Commissionerate getting upgraded, the Vizag Commissionerate is unlikely to be left behind. Sources said that the government is also mulling upgrading the police limits in Tirupati and other major cities like Kakinada and Rajahmundry but no concrete decision has been taken so far.
Speaking to Express, deputy chief minister and home minister N Chinna Rajappa attributed the delay in appointment of the new police commissioner to the delay in finalisation of the allocation of cadres to civil services officials. “As the cadres have been allocated, we will complete the appointment within a month,” he said. Visakhapatnam is all likely to have its new police chief before Diwali.