Srilakshmi Made Special Chief Secretary Before Retirement

Vijayawada: Senior IAS officer Y. Srilakshmi, a 1988-batch Andhra Pradesh cadre officer, was on Thursday appointed Special Chief Secretary in the general administration department (GAD), just four days before her retirement on June 30.

Chief Secretary K. Sai Prasad issued orders assigning her charge of the Administrative Reforms Department. She replaces Shamsher Singh Rawat, who had been holding the portfolio as an additional charge.

The appointment has drawn attention in bureaucratic circles as Srilakshmi had remained without a posting for nearly two years after the NDA coalition government led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu assumed office in June 2024.

During the previous YSRC government led by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, she held key positions in the municipal administration department and was regarded as one of the government's most influential officers.

Her career has also been marked by legal controversies. She was linked to the Obulapuram Mining Company mining lease case during the undivided Andhra Pradesh era and was later named as an accused in the CBI's disproportionate assets case against Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. She was arrested, spent time in judicial custody and was later granted bail.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court dismissed her discharge petition in the CBI case. Her appointment shortly before retirement has therefore attracted attention, bringing to an end a prolonged period without an official posting.