PV Sindhu appointed as Deputy Collector in Andhra Pradesh government

Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday issued orders appointing badminton superstar and 2016 Rio Olympics silver medallist P V Sindhu as deputy collector.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu handed over the appointment letter to Sindhu, who met him at the Secretariat in Amaravati along with her parents in the morning. Naidu wished her all the best in her new assignment and Sindhu thanked him for reposing faith in her.

She, however, said her first priority would be sports and she would continue to represent the country in all the national and international badminton tournaments.

According to the orders, Sindhu has to join the duties within 30 days and report to the Special Chief Secretary and Chief Commissioner of Land Administration, Vijayawada, with all the relevant certificates. Later, she will be allotted the district for appointment as the deputy collector and will have to undergo training as per the government rules.

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The orders further said Sindhu should execute a bond stating that she would serve the government for a period of three years after the completion of training. She will be on probation for a period of two years on duty within a continuous period of three years. And during the probationary period, she will have to pass the mandatory tests conducted by the government under relevant rules.

If Sindhu follows the norms and procedures of the Andhra Pradesh government, she would be eligible for the conferment of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) cadre by the Union Public Service Commission within nine years.

It may be mentioned that Naidu had offered Sindhu a group-1 rank officer job while felicitating her on her return from Rio Olympics with the silver medal. Besides the job offer, the government gave her Rs. 3 crore as cash prize and a 1,000 square yard residential plot in Amaravati after she won silver medal for the country at the Rio Olympics.

Sindu accepted the offer and formally applied for the Group-I officer post in February this year. Subsequently, the state assembly unanimously passed a Bill amending the AP Public Services Act, providing a Group-I officer job to Sindhu. The amendment to the Act was required as this special appointment bypasses the regular recruitment process through the AP Public Service Commission. Later, the APPSC also cleared the proposal.