VIJAYAWADA: The inter-cadre deputation of senior IPS officer Stephen Ravindra is likely to materialise soon with the Union government giving in-principle nod to the State government’s long-pending request. Informed sources told TNIE that it is in the final stage and orders could be issued soon. Along with Stephen Ravindra, the deputation of senior IAS officer Sri Lakshmi may also be accepted, the sources said.
The same was said last year too after the Jagan Mohan Reddy government sought the inter-cadre deputation of both officers from Telangana to AP. This time, however, it is different, the sources maintained. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has been keen on having Stephen Ravindra, a 1999-batch IPS officer, as the State Intelligence chief and had requested Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao and the Centre to accept his deputation soon after coming to power last year. Though KCR readily accepted Jagan’s request, the file pertaining to Ravindra’s deputation has been hanging fire at the Centre ever since.
It is learnt that Jagan raised the issue during his recent meetings with PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah and subsequently, the State government sent a letter to the Home Ministry. Stephen Ravindra currently serves as IG, West Zone, in Telangana. He earned his spurs combating left-wing extremism in Telangana and later, went on to work in Rayalaseema. He also served as chief security officer of the late YS Rajasekhara Reddy. The Central government had put his deputation file in cold storage after objections to the effect that it violated All India Service rules were raised. It appears the BJP-led government is now inclined to change its mind.
In the YSRC camp, several names are doing the rounds and rumour mills have it that Ramky Group’s Ayodhya Rami Reddy, and former MLA B Mastan Rao are among the front-runners. YSR Congress has two Rajya Sabha members now—Vijayasai Reddy and V Prabhakar Reddy.
The terms of Subbarami Reddy, Thota Sithamahalakshmi, Mohammed Ali Khan and Kesava Rao will expire next month, effectively reducing the number of TDP members to one and increasing the number of YSRC members to six.
The terms of Bhartiya Janata Party leaders Suresh Prabhu and Sujana Chowdary will end in June, 2022.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was nominated to the Rajya Sabha from AP in 2014 and later in 2016 from Karnataka. But at that time, the then ruling TDP and BJP were allies.
BJP eyeing RS seat from AP
Meanwhile, the BJP has its own expectations. It wants the YSRC to offer it a Rajya Sabha seat from Andhra Pradesh. Four seats are set to fall vacant next month, and the YSRC is set to win them all. The BJP wants one RS seat from AP for a Central minister, sources said, adding that 18 BJP members of the Upper House are set to retire this year