HYDERABAD: Who will become the next chief secretary of the state if SP Singh retires on January 31?. Most of the senior officials are clueless about what chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will do give Singh a three-month extension or not.
There are eleven special chief secretaries in the state cadre and all of them are eligible for the chief secretary’s post.
However, the selection of a new chief secretary is important as the TRS government is going to face Assembly elections in one and a half years from now. Except Ranjeev Ranjan Acharya, special chief secretary (education), all other special chief secretaries have more than two years’ tenure left in their service.
If the chief minister goes by the seniority list, then Acharya, special chief secretary (planning), tops the list of probables. “I do not know what decision the chief minister will take. I am not in the race for the post,” a senior official told Express. According to him, lobbying for the post will not work with Chandrasekhar Rao who will take a decision of his own.
“Special chief secretary SK Joshi stands a better chance. The chief minister may select him for the coveted post,” a senior IAS officer said while speaking with Express on condition of anonymity. But, no one is sure who will be the chief secretary in the election year.
Another official pointed out that for all practical purposes, state government’s chief adviser Rajiv Sharma is available tor give advice to the chief minister.
It remains to be seen whether SP Singh will get extension or not. When Pradeep Chandra retired as chief secretary, his term was not extended by the central government.
Of the eleven special chief secretaries, three are on deputation to the Centre. It to be seen if the chief minister will consider their names or not for elevation.