Ch Venkaiah Chowdary, a senior Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, has been appointed as the new Joint Executive Officer (JEO) of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). The Appointments Committee of the Central Cabinet approved Chowdary’s deputation to TTD, the trust responsible for managing the famous Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirumala. Chowdary, a 2005 batch IRS officer, was recommended by the Andhra Pradesh state government, which sought and received permission from the central government for this three-year deputation.
This appointment is a notable exception to the usual policy, facilitated by the Department of Revenue and approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. The Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India, issued an official order confirming the decision on Tuesday.
Chowdary previously served as the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the AP Mineral Development Corporation Limited during the tenure of the previous TDP government. He joined the state service in 2016 and held this position for three years before returning to his parent cadre following the change in government in 2019. His new role as JEO is expected to lead to the abolition of the additional executive officer post in TTD, which was created by the previous YSRCP government. Chowdary is considered close to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who has expressed intentions to reform TTD administration.
