BENGALURU: The state government on Saturday appointed T M Vijay Bhaskar as Chief Secretary, replacing K Ratna Prabha. The 1983-batch IAS officer was appointed after a second extension was denied to Ratna Prabha. Fifty-eight-year-old Vijay Bhaskar, who took charge as chief secretary on Saturday evening, was earlier Additional Chief Secretary to the government.
His appointment came after the State government withdrew the letter by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who had earlier sought a second extension to Ratna Prabha. She was given the first extension by the previous government ahead of the elections, after her tenure ended on March 31.
Vijay Bhaskar is considered to be close to Kumaraswamy and was the frontrunner for the post following the state’s decision not to provide another extension to Ratna Prabha.
Speaking after assuming charge, he said he will work for the state’s development and implement the policies of the government on priority. “We will also work to ensure that the government machinery is responsive to the needs and expectations of the people,” he said. He has 34 years of experience and his first posting was as Assistant Commissioner of Kolar in 1984.
Newly-appointed Chief Secretary Vijay Bhaskar was earlier Additional Chief Secretary to Urban Development Department, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment, among others. He had also served as BBMP administrator and BWSSB chairperson.
Vijay Bhaskar is the second-most senior IAS officer in the state after S K Pattanayak, a 1982-batch IAS officer currently on central deputation. Vijay Bhaskar, who hails from Bengaluru, is a Masters in Economics from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani and an MBA in Public Sector from University of Birmingham, UK. He has 34 years of experience and his first posting was as Assistant Commissioner of Kolar in 1984
He later worked for more than eight years in various capacities in state-level education administration and nine years in Rural Development at national and state levels, stated an Information and Public Relation Department release.Meanwhile, prior to her last day in office, Ratna Prabha sent out a series of tweets between 1.45 am and 2.15 am on Saturday recollecting her 37 years of service. “One good deed a day from each one of us goes a long way in making an unimaginable change/difference in someone’s life. I gave the best of what I could and I will sorely miss my daily visitors with grievances.” Ratna Prabha was the third woman chief secretary of the state.