In a major reshuffle of IAS officers on the day when Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma retired from service and his successor K. Pradeep Chandra took over, the State government shifted nearly 20 of them and appointed a few others to key posts.
Former Peddapalli MP G. Vivekananda was appointed Advisor to government on Inter-State affairs in the rank of a Cabinet Minister for a three-year term and a former IAS officer Rajendra Nimje was made Director-General of Centre for Good Governance. Mr. Rajiv Sharma was already made Chief Advisor to the government.
Among those transferred were M.G. Gopal, Special Chief Secretary of municipal administration, who took the place of Mr. Pradeep Chandra in the revenue department. Another Special Chief Secretary in revenue Ajay Mishra was shifted to the energy department.
Ms. Chitra Ramachandran, who was waiting for posting after returning from Central deputation, was made Principal Housing Secretary in place of G. Asok Kumar who was shifted to the Backward Classes department. Principal Secretary of tribal welfare Somesh Kumar would take the place of Mr. Ajay Mishra in revenue to look after excise and commercial taxes.
Mr. Sunil Sharma, Principal Secretary (transport and buildings), would be in full additional charge as Transport Commissioner, a post held by Sandeep Kumar Sultania. The latter was shifted as Finance Secretary in place of Navin Mittal who was transferred as Municipal Administration Secretary.
Industries Secretary Sabyasachi Ghosh was transferred as Secretary, Youth Affairs, Tourism and Culture, and Busani Venkateswara Rao as Fisheries Commissioner. Benhur Mahesh Dutt Ekka was made Tribal Welfare Secretary. Mr. K. Shashanka and Ms. Shruti Ojha, Sub-Collectors of Jagtial and Vikarabad respectively, were made Municipal Commissioners of Karimnagar and Warangal while Sub-Collector of Asifabad Adwait Kumar Singh was made Additional Commissioner of the GHMC.
Five newly recruited IAS officers were given their first postings as Sub-Collectors after completion of training and Central deputation. They included Sandeep Kumar Jha (Tandur in Vikarabad district), Ms. Sikta Patnaik (Bodhan in Nizamabad), Mohd. Musharraf Ali Faruqui (Metpally in Jagtial) S. Krishna Aditya (Narayanpet in Mahabubnagar) and V.P. Gautam (Mulug and Jayashankar district).
