#Karnataka: Reshuffle in police, bureaucracy as Yeddyurappa takes charge

Within hours of swearing-in as Chief Minister of Karnataka BS Yeddyurappa on Thursday made crucial changes in the intelligence wing of the police as well as the state bureaucracy, NDTV reported.

Public Works Department’s Additional Chief Secretary PM Lakshminarayana was appointed as the Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, The Hindu reported. The government also notified that his new position will be equivalent to the Home department’s Additional Chief Secretary.

Reports also stated that senior IPS officer Amar Kumar Pandey, who was serving as Additional Director General of Police, Railways, has been appointed as ADGP, Intelligence. While Deputy Inspector-General of Police Sandeep Patil has been appointed as DIG Intelligence.

Apart from these changes, senior high court lawyer Prabhuling K Navadgi has been made the new advocate general of Karnataka in place of Madhusudan R Naik who resigned.

These appointments come a day after three BJP members blamed the ex-government for tapping their phones and for infringement of their right to privacy, NDTV reported. 

The Supreme Court, however, in its decision on May 18, has stated that the “Yeddyurappa government shall not take any major policy decisions.” The top court has also directed for the floor test in the Karnataka Assembly to be held on Saturday at 4 pm.