HYDERABAD: Former CRPF director-general K Durgaprasad is being tipped for appointment as a senior security adviser in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Union home minister Rajnath Singh is understood to be considering the retired IPS officer Durgaprasad even as speculation is rife that Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu is keen on appointing him to supervise a special project to build infrastructure in areas affected by left wing extremism.
Highly placed sources said MHA is considering Durgaprasad for the role of senior security adviser on counter-insurgency ops, a post that is currently held by K Vijay Kumar, also a former CRPF director-general and the famed Veerappan hunter. It is not yet certain whether Durgaprasad will replace Vijay Kumar or take up a post alongside.
However, sources said, “Nothing has been finalised as yet in the union Home Ministry. A decision is expected soon.’’
As an IPS officer Durgaprasad carried out several assignments tackling left wing extremism. He headed the elite anti-naxalite force Greyhounds in Andhra Pradesh, and then moved on to the Centre where he served as director of the Special Protection Group (SPG) and director-general of CRPF.
Durgaprasad called on Chandrababu Naidu in Vijayawada four days ago and had a long meeting with the chief minister and the state’s principal secretary (home) A R Anuradha.
Sources said, the AP chief minister is keen on developing infrastructure in Maoist-affected areas, primarily roads to afford movement of security forces.
Originally, it was envisaged that 5,477 km of roads — 1,126 km national highways and 4,351 km State roads — would be taken up under phase one of MHA’s Road Requirement Plan (RRP-I) in Maoist-affected areas at a cost of `7,300 crore. Until November 2015, contracts for 5,092 km of roads were awarded of which 3,858 km were completed with an expenditure of `5,262 crore. The World Bank is funding this mega project.
The plan is meant to improve road connectivity in 34 Maoist-affected districts in eight states.