Race for DGP post hots up

Vijayawada: Since less than three weeks are left for Director-General of Police M Malakondaiah to retire interesting discussions are on in the state particularly among the police department that who will be the next DGP. So far, the names of four senior IPS officers are making rounds among the police circle for the coveted post of new DGP. 

The state government has amended the AP Police Act (Reforms) so that the state can appoint the new DGP of its choice instead of sending the list of probables to the UPSC for the appointment.   

Senior IPS officers, Gautam Sawang, the commissioner of police, R P Thakur, Director-General of Anti-Corruption Bureau, N Surendrababu, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of the APSRTC and A R Anuradha, Director-General of Vigilance and Enforcement are in the race. Among the top aspirants, two officers -- Gautam Sawang and R P Thakur -- are reportedly lobbying for the prestigious post.

The 57-year-old Thakur is 1986 batch officer. Thakur has been trying to root out corruption in all departments since he assumed charge as ACB chief in November 2016. Dozens of Disproportionate Assets (DA) and trap cases were booked against the tainted officials working in various departments particularly Municipal, Endowment, Panchayat Raj, Revenue, Transport and Police departments across the state since Thakur assumed charge nearly 18 months ago. 

The senior officer was born in 1961 and will retire in 2021. Vijayawada Commissioner of Police D Gautam Sawang is also in the race. He maintained law and order efficiently in Vijayawada since he assumed charge in August 2015. He mercilessly crushed the activities of rowdy elements and call money financiers, who were creating panic in the city with intimidation, kidnappings and assaulting men and women. Most of the call money lenders stopped the activity.

Maintaining law and order became a challenging task for the Commissioner Sawang. To avoid criticism from all quarters, the Commissioner carefully handled the law and order. Still there is criticism that the city police used excess force to check protestors at Dharna Chowk on many instances during the last two years. 

There is a criticism that the commissioner deployed personnel to arrest women protesters. Sawang has motivated the police to take care of women, children and elderly people by arranging separate cells like Vruddha Mitra, Mahila Mitra and other teams to help the victims. Another senior IPS officer N Surendrababu is also in race for the coveted post. 

He is known as straight forward and daring officer in the police department. He has vast experience in working in Vijayawada and Hyderabad. 
He is very familiar among the police circle in the capital region and maintains good relations with the subordinates and superiors.