Senior IPS officer Madireddy Pratap, who was one of the hot favourite officers of former Andhra Pradesh CM late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, seems to be upset with his sudden transfer from the post of APSRTC Corporation chairman.
Pratap, who played a key role in developing Information Technology and infrastructure projects in combined Andhra Pradesh during the YSR regime, was brought in specially by Jagan to head the APSRTC and also the newly-formed Public Transport Department only a few months ago.
But one doesn’t know what exactly happened, Pratap was transferred overnight and posted as additional director general of AP Special Police Battallion.
Apparently, Jagan was not happy with the way Pratap was behaving independently, caring a damn for the CMO and also the transport minister.
The decisions taken by Pratap like sacking of over 7,000 outsourced employees and purchase of electric vehicles and double-decker buses etc without consulting the CMO are learnt to have angered Jagan who shifted him from the post.
Pratap did not hide his disappointment. He told the media that he was transferred abruptly and the GO was issued after midnight.
“I came to know about my transfer only through media reports. I don’t mind being transferred, but I should have brought in several reforms had I been continued in the RTC,” he said.
What is more, the IPS officer tried to give an impression that he was closer to the YSR family.
“In fact, on the night of my transfer, Vijayamma (Jagan’s mother) had sent me a cake. I went to bed after eating the cake, but the next morning, I came to know that I was transferred,” he said.
He also sought to send a message that he was not like other officers who are subservient to the politicians, but he was an officer with independent ideas and functioning.
“Several officers in the YSR government were questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), but I was not. This was because, I was functioning independently and the CBI knew that I was a man of integrity,” he said.