The appointment of senior IAS officer K Vijayanand as the new Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh by chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has triggered a big debate in the media circles.
While there have been instances in the past where junior officers were appointed as Chief Secretaries over senior officers, the appointment of Vijayanand has raised many an eyebrow.
Not long ago, the TDP leaders, including Chandrababu Naidu, had repeatedly claimed that the power purchase agreement with SECI (Solar Energy Corporation of India) by the Jagan Mohan Reddy government would impose a financial burden of Rs 1 lakh crore on the people of the state.
They also pointed out the US indictment of Adani, which alleged that Jagan Mohan Reddy received Rs 1,750 crore in kickbacks from the Adani Group for this agreement.
While the decision to sign the deal with Adani-dominated SECI was taken by Jagan, the man who drafted the entire agreement was Vijayanand.
In fact, after the agreement was signed, Vijayanand described it as a "trendsetter." He said It was an unprecedented agreement in India.
Naidu also had previously accused the Jagan administration of large-scale corruption in the power sector, including irregularities in transformer procurement, smart meter purchases, and coal procurement.
All these decisions were taken during the period of Vijayanand, who had served as the Special Principal Secretary of the Energy Department for several years.
Now, the same gentleman was appointed by Chandrababu Naidu as the Chief Secretary. People familiar with Naidu's attitude know that he doesn’t allow individuals with differing perspectives into his inner circle. Yet, he appointed Vijayanand as the Chief Secretary.
There is a prevailing opinion that the government seems to be following the same path as the Jagan administration, given that an officer who was deeply involved in the power sector corruption and had fully cooperated with Jagan Mohan Reddy has now been elevated.
Additionally, there are allegations that corporate powers have gained unprecedented influence over government decisions, dictating terms on several matters.
It is said that powerful energy companies are steering the government for their benefit, and this might explain the lack of action against corruption in the previous five years.
