Hyderabad: In a major rejig of state administration, the government late on Sunday night, transferred and gave new postings to 49 IAS officers, including senior officials of the rank of Special Chief Secretaries, while 21 districts got new District Collectors. The massive reshuffle is the first such exercise by the TRS government after it returned to power in the State in last year’s elections.
Among the significant changes is postings were that of Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar who will now be the new Principal Secretary to the Government for the Irrigation & Command Area Development department. The Education Department that was plagued by problems related to conduct of public examinations last year, saw Chitra Ramachandran, Special Chief Secretary of the Housing Department, posted to head the Education Department. She will continue to hold her full additional charge (FAC) as Secretary of the Housing Department. Dr B Janardhan Reddy, who was the Education Secretary, was transferred and posted as secretary in the Agriculture & Cooperation Department and Commissioner Agriculture in place of Principal Secretary C Pardhasaradhi who was holding these positions. Pardhasaradhi will now head the Environment Protection and Training Research Institute as its Director General. This will be Janardhan Reddy second stint in the Agriculture Department.
The key position of Director, Land Administration has been given to the Bhadradri-Kothagudem District Collector Rajat Kumar Saini. Among those transferred was the Hyderabad District Collector K Manicka Raj who has been replaced by Sweta Mohanty. Manicka Raj has been given the important position of Commissioner Industries, a position he had held earlier when he is believed to have played a crucial role in implementing TS-iPASS and industrial promotion in Telangana.
Also shifted was Adhar Sinha, Special Chief Secretary of the General Administration Department, who has been posted to the Animal Husbandry Department and was replaced with Principal Secretary Vikas Raj. Meanwhile, Secretary to the Chief Minister Sandeep Kumar Sultania has replaced Vikas Raj as Secretary of the Panchayat Raj & Rural Development Department.
