Sanjay Jaju Set to Become Next CS of Telangana, Relieved from Central Services
Jaju has had one of the longest stints in Central services among Telangana cadre officers, lasting nearly 13 years.
Hyderabad: Senior IAS officer Sanjay Jaju is set to become Chief Secretary of Telangana, official sources said here on Tuesday. Jaju will assume office on June 30, the day Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao demits office upon completion of his extended tenure.
A 1992 batch IAS officer of the Telangana cadre, Jaju was relieved from Central deputation and repatriated to his parent cadre on Tuesday. His return to the state came exactly a week before the retirement of Ramakrishna Rao, a development that has all but confirmed his appointment to the state’s top bureaucratic post.
The order issued by the Centre’s department of personnel and training (DoPT) stated: “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved repatriation of Sanjay Jaju to his parent cadre on the request of Government of Telangana.”
Jaju has had one of the longest stints in Central services among Telangana cadre officers, lasting nearly 13 years. During this period, he held several key assignments, including secretary in the Union ministry of information and broadcasting. Ahead of his repatriation, he as secretary, ministry of development of northeastern region (DoNER).
Before going to the Centre, Jaju held several important positions in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh including as commissioner of the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad and as collector of East Godavari district.
Sources said Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy favoured Jaju for the post primarily because of his extensive experience and long innings at the Centre. The Chief Minister has been placing significant emphasis on maintaining close coordination with Union ministries and departments to secure approvals and funding for several flagship projects and development initiatives.
According to officials, the state government was aggressively pursuing Central clearances and financial support for major infrastructure and development projects, including the expansion of Hyderabad Metro Rail, the Musi river rejuvenation project, development of new airports, the Regional Ring Road, proposed bullet train corridors, the Regional Ring Rail project and Bharat Future City.
In this context, the Chief Minister is understood to have felt that Jaju’s vast experience in the Central government and his familiarity with Union ministries would provide Telangana with a distinct advantage in securing the required approvals and assistance from New Delhi.
Though senior IAS officers Jayesh Ranjan and Vikas Raj were said to be in contention for the Chief Secretary’s post, Revanth Reddy ultimately opted for Jaju, taking into account his long tenure and network within the Central government. Jaju is set for retirement in March 2028.
The transition will mark the end of Ramakrishna Rao’s tenure as Chief Secretary. Originally due to retire in August 2025, Ramakrishna Rao received an unprecedented 10-month extension. The extension was granted in two phases — first for seven months until March 2026 and subsequently for another three months until June 2026.