The State government on Thursday announced the merger of Infrastructure & Investment Department with the Energy Department as part of the reorganisation of Secretariat departments.
The announcement came a few days after the government decided to restructure the departments based on the priorities of the new State. The government had constituted a high power committee to study the staffing pattern in various departments as it felt that there could be a need for strengthening some units and downsize certain others, besides assigning new functions and responsibilities to the existing organisations.
The committee was constituted in view of the perceived change in scope and role of certain departments as also the change in policy priorities of the government. In the orders issued on Thursday, Chief Secretary I.Y.R. Krishna Rao said with the formation of the new State, it was felt that new departments were to be created keeping in view the topographical, demographic and emerging requirements.
The Infrastructure & Investment and Energy Departments were key departments and it was felt that these two should be merged to have a better synergy and to put in place swift decision making process. Accordingly, it was decided to create the “Department of Energy, Infrastructure & Investment” by merging the two departments. The subjects dealt within the two Departments in the Secretariat would be dealt with the new Department and the staff stands transferred to the newly created Department. The government had asked the General Administration Department to issue suitable amendment to the First Schedule of the AP Government Business Rules and Secretariat Instructions.