Hyderabad: After the appointments of Sita Pallacholla as Chief Executive Officer of WE-Hub, succeeding Deepthi Ravula, and Joginder Tanikella as CEO of T-Works, along with Sri Sai Krishna as the IT portfolio adviser to the IT minister, the state government is set to undertake a broader re-evaluation of political appointees from the previous administration.
Several appointees, including Shakthi M Nagappan, Amarnath Reddy, Sailesh Reddy, and WC COO Anish Anthony, are likely to be replaced. Another individual to be replaced is Shanta Thoutam as Chief Innovation Officer of the TS tate Innovation Cell (TSIC).
Deepthi Ravula, faced numerous allegations of politicising WE-Hub to serve the interests of the BRS. Employees disclosed that events were often orchestrated to benefit key BRS figures, such as IT minister K.T. Rama Rao and BRS MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha. One notable incident involved organising an event purportedly about entrepreneurship that was in reality staged to support Kavitha during a politically sensitive period.
When Kavitha failed to appear, attendees were left waiting until late evening without any explanation from the leadership, highlighting the misuse of WE-HUB’s resources for political gain.
Shanta Thoutam's tenure at TSIC was clouded by allegations of leveraging the organisation for political purposes. An employee recounted an episode where Thoutam admonished the staff for not voting in line with her directives during the Assembly elections last year. Additionally, public funds were reportedly diverted to events intended to enhance the political clout of the BRS, such as a student fest aimed at bolstering KTR’s image.
Shakthi M Nagappan, Director of Life Sciences and Pharma, has also come under scrutiny. His roles include overseeing the Hyderabad Pharma City and BioAsia initiatives, both significant projects under the state’s development agenda. The ongoing restructuring efforts suggest that his tenure might soon come to an end as part of the state’s broader effort to depoliticise its institutions and ensure their focus remains on their core missions.
Amarnath Reddy, an influential figure in the IT sector, serving as chief relations officer for the information technology, electronics and communications department, is likely to be replaced to shift the department’s focus away from political affiliations.
The re-evaluation suggests that the tenures Shaliesh Reddy R., CEO of the Society for Telangana State Network (SoFTNET), also called T-SAT, and W.C. Anish Anthony, chief operating officer of T-Works are likely to end soon.
These replacements seem to be part of a larger initiative to ensure that state-led organisations operate without political interference, focusing solely on their primary objectives of supporting innovation and entrepreneurship and restoring the integrity and mission of these organisations, free from the influence of political agendas.
