S Venkateswar, an officer from Indian Information Service from 1989 batch, today took charge as commissioner, department of Information and public relations (I&PR). Venkateswar, a post-graduate from Sri Venkateswara University, earlier handled many important assignments in All India Radio and Doordarshan in various states and capacities.

Before joining chief minister Chandrababu Naidu’s government Venkateswar was deputy director general, Press Information Bureau, Bengaluru. Earlier he handled All India Radio, News Division, Kolkata in the capacity of director. Before that he worked as director, PIB , Bhubaneswar. He is the first professional and non-bureaucratic man to head the information department at least in the recent past.

Venkateswar was also public relations in-charge of the recently concluded Goa International Film Festival.

Venkateswar joined Naidu’s government at a time when state government was under attack from the opposition parties with regard to capital construction, polavaram project, land pooling and many other issues such as special category status. Since Naidu gives utmost importance to creating awareness among the public about the welfare schemes, handling information and media is not a cake walk .

But, given his vast experience in the news divisions of AIR and Doordarshan, Venkateswar is likely to transform the functioning of I&PR department to suit the requirements of state government. Incidentally, Venkatewar is also from Chittoor district.