VIJAYAWADA: Praveen Kumar, a 2006 batch IAS officer, will take charge as the managing director of Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) and the CEO of Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority (APTA) on Monday.
He was serving as the special commissioner in the Agriculture Department and the district collector of West Godavari district before his new posting. The IAS officer was known as the ‘Salman of Vizag’ for developing the city during his six-and-half year tenure as the chairman of the District Tourism Council in Visakhapatnam.
He has been credited with developing Rushikonda Beach Front and Rushikonda Beach Road, collectively known as ‘Rushikonda Maniharam’, as the most-featured tourist attraction in the city and allotted government lands for development of tourism in the district. Visakhapatnam was included in the list of smart cities and global summits such as BRICS and Investment Summit were held in the city during Praveen Kumar’s tenure.