VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister-designate YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is keen on overhauling the administration, is wasting no time in picking officials, who he believes, could help him steer the State. It is reliably learnt that he is all set to anoint senior IPS officer Gautam Sawang as the State police chief, and Stephen Raveendra, IG rank officer belonging to the Telangana cadre, as Intelligence Chief.
Sawang, an officer of the 1986 batch, replaces incumbent DGP RP Thakur. Currently, DG of the Vigilance Department, Sawang had held several key positions in his career including as Vijayawada Police Commissioner, SP of Warangal district and also headed the UN Police as part of the UN Mission in Liberia. He is known for helping raise the elite anti-Naxal force, the Greyhounds.
He has made a name for himself as a suave, and efficient officer. His immediate challenge is to restore the police department’s image as an impartial and people-friendly force politicised as it has been under RP Thakur who himself faced allegations of favouring the TDP. Thakur is likely to go on leave and later apply for Central deputation.
Popular in and outside the department, Sawang’s appointment, however, is no surprise. The real surprise is Stephen Raveendra, a 1999 batch IPS officer from the Telangana cadre. Raveendra is currently working as Inspector General of Police, Hyderabad range and it appears he has been hand-picked by Chief Minister-designate YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to be his eyes and ears.
He will replace Kumar Vishwajeet. Kumar was installed in that position during the recent elections after the EC transferred controversial officer AB Venkateswarlu following complaints from the YSR Congress. Sawang and Raveendra go a long way back. The latter is a protege of Sawang and both are known for tackling the Naxal menace. Raveendra later went on to be the DIG of the elite anti-Naxal force, the Greyhounds. A somewhat controversial officer for his tough approach, Ravindra had handled several high-profile cases in his career, including the Tollywood drugs scandal.
He had also served as chief security officer for the late chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and as SP, Anantapur. Raveendra was awarded the prestigious Prime Minister’s Life Saving Medal for saving the lives of 61 patients who were trapped in a fire accident in a hospital. Raveendra met Jagan at his residence in Tadepalli on Monday along with Sawang.
The decision to pick Raveendra comes after Jagan met his counterpart Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday. Sources told Express that RP Thakur may go on leave for two weeks from June 1 and try for deputation to Central services.
“Not willing to face demotion, Thakur is opting for central services. Jagan offered Thakur other departments such as V&E, but he declined politely,” the sources claimed. As far as the ACB DG’s post is concerned, it is certain that incumbent AB Venkateswara Rao will be shunted out.