Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has rewarded his trusted retired IPS officers, who played crucial roles in his previous government between 2014 and 2019, with key positions.
One of them is former state intelligence chief A B Venkateshwara Rao.
On Saturday, the Naidu government appointed him as the chairman of the Andhra Pradesh State Police Housing Corporation Limited (APSPHCL) for a two-year term.
The other is retired IPS officer R P Thakur, who served as Director General of Police during Naidu’s tenure between 2018 and 2019.
He has been appointed as an advisor to the state government and will be based at Andhra Pradesh Bhavan in New Delhi for two years.
Both Venkateshwara Rao and Thakur were sidelined during the Jagan Mohan Reddy regime, primarily because of their close ties with Chandrababu Naidu.
Venkateshwara Rao, in particular, was suspended from service and faced legal action under Jagan’s government between 2020 and 2024.
However, after Naidu returned to power in June 2024, his government withdrew the cases against Rao and dropped all disciplinary proceedings initiated during the YSRCP regime.
On Tuesday, the Naidu government regularized Venkateshwara Rao’s suspension period and declared it as "on duty."
It also clarified that he is entitled to receive full salary and allowances for the suspension period, as per official norms.
