Until now, there has been a tradition of appointing Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Revenue Service (IRS), and Indian Defence Estate Service officers to top positions such as executive officer, additional executive officer, and joint executive officer in the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages one of the country’s richest temples at Tirumala.
For the first time, the Andhra Pradesh government is considering appointing an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer as the joint executive officer of TTD.
Previously, IPS officers were only appointed as chief vigilance and security officers (CVSO) in the TTD, but not to administrative roles.
Now, according to sources, the Chandrababu Naidu government is considering the appointment of senior IPS officer M R Ravi Kiran as the TTD joint executive officer, replacing Veerabrahmam, who was appointed during the regime of Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy in 2021.
Ravi Kiran is currently the Deputy Inspector General of the Prisons Department in the Coastal Andhra region. He is likely to assume charge as the TTD joint executive officer in a few days, once the orders are issued.
Apparently, the Naidu government believes that an IPS officer would be better equipped to control the large-scale corruption that has been occurring in the TTD administration, including issues related to the issuance of darshan tickets and accommodation.
The Naidu government has already appointed senior IAS officer J Shyamala Rao as the executive officer of the TTD, replacing A V Dharma Reddy, who completed his deputation and retired upon reaching the age of superannuation.
Additionally, another Indian Revenue Service officer, Venkaiah Chowdary, has been appointed as a joint executive officer in the TTD.
The government is also likely to constitute a new board for the TTD, along with a new chairman and members.
