Hyderabad: The Telangana DGP retirement ceremony for Shivdhar Reddy took place at the Telangana Police Academy on Thursday with full police honours. Telangana Police organised the farewell programme and presented a guard of honour to the outgoing police chief.
Speaking at the event, Shivdhar Reddy said policing had undergone major changes over the years and officers from his generation witnessed and participated in those transformations. He asked young officers to adopt people-centric policing methods while responding to changing public expectations.
Shivdhar Reddy said Telangana Police introduced people’s policing after formation of the state to reduce the gap between police and citizens. He said sections of society earlier believed the police system had supported efforts to suppress the Telangana movement, which increased distrust among people.
The former DGP said the department later introduced friendly policing to improve public confidence. However, some people questioned whether friendly policing could weaken action against criminals. Therefore, after taking charge as DGP, he introduced a citizen-centric policing approach.
Telangana DGP retirement highlights citizen-centric policing
During the past seven months, the department followed the citizen-centric policing model, he said. Meanwhile, the police department also launched a retreat programme to prepare officers for future policing challenges and technological changes.
Shivdhar Reddy advised police officials to avoid publicity-oriented policing and focus instead on public-centric service. He also thanked Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for giving him the opportunity to serve as DGP. In addition, he expressed gratitude to previous governments for assigning him different responsibilities during his career.
Telangana Police Academy Director Abhilash Bisht and newly appointed DGP C.V. Anand attended the programme.
Earlier in the day, Shivdhar Reddy posted an emotional message on X ahead of his retirement. He said he received strong support from Telangana citizens and police personnel, ranging from home guards to IPS officers, during his seven-month tenure as DGP.
In the message, he thanked the police force for its dedication towards maintaining law and order and ensuring public safety. He also expressed hope that Telangana would continue to progress with peace, harmony, and strong law and order.