When YSR Congress party president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh till recently, the opposition parties raised a hue and cry over the indiscriminate appointment of advisors in various departments and subjects.
The opposition parties alleged that there were as many as 89 advisors to the government during the Jagan regime, but it was true that there were at least 50 plus advisors in the Jagan government.
And Jana Sena Party leader Nadendla Manohar went to the extent of criticising Jagan for spending Rs 680 crore on salaries and perks of these advisors during the five-year rule of the YSRCP.
Now that the National Democratic Alliance led by Telugu Desam Party came to power in Andhra Pradesh, there were expectations that chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu might do away with the policy of appointing advisors to the government left, right and centre.
But now, there are reports that Naidu, too, is contemplating appointing advisors in at least some important departments and subjects.
He has already appointed retired engineer-in-chief M Venkateshwar Rao as the advisor (irrigation) to assist the department and irrigation minister Nimmala Ramanaidu.
Sources said Naidu is planning to appoint retired IAS and IPS officers as advisors, in order to utilise their expertise in various fields.
For example, there are reports that former special chief secretary (finance) S P Tucker may be appointed as advisor (finance and planning).
Another senior officer Jasti Krishna Kishore, who was earlier chairman of AP state investment promotion board, will also be appointed as the advisor to the government.
Similarly, retired IPS officers like R P Thakur and A B Venkateshwara Rao might also be appointed as advisors in various positions.
Orders are likely to be issued on the appointment of some advisors in a week or two, sources said.