Senior IPS officer R P Thakur, who was shunted out of the post of Director General of Police soon after Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy took over as the chief minister in May 2019, finally got a key post in the government.
Thakur, who was the DGP during the TDP regime, was posted as full-time managing director of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC), considered to be the most sought-after post.
He replaced transport commissioner M T Krishna Babu, who was hitherto holding the additional charge as the RTC managing director. Prior to Krishna Babu, another senior IPS officer Madireddy Pratap was the RTC MD, but he was abruptly transferred to a loopline post following his controversial comments on Jagan’s family.
Thakur was the most favourite police officer of Telugu Desam Party government led by N Chandrababu Naidu before 2019 elections. During the elections, the YSR Congress Party even lodged a complaint with Election Commission of India against Thakur, alleging that he was favouring the TDP.
Jagan had even alleged that Thakur had given key postings and promotions to only those cops belonging to Kamma caste. Thakur openly condemned Jagan’s comments saying it was absolutely wrong.
“We are working as police and we have no caste. We only represent the caste of ‘Khaki.’ The promotions are given as per the High Court directions and based on merit. There was no secrecy,” he said, which resembles the similar language being used by Gautam Sawang now.
Soon after Jagan took over, he shifted Thakur from the DGP post and posted him in the most insignificant post of commissioner of printing and stationery.
It is not exactly known how Thakur got into the good books of Jagan now and that led to his posting in the RTC as managing director. Thakur met the chief minister at the latter’s Tadepally residence and thanked him for the key post.
