Revanth Reddy weighs Jayesh Ranjan, Vikas Raj for CS
HYDERABAD: The race for the post of chief secretary in Telangana has intensified ahead of the retirement of incumbent K. Ramakrishna Rao on July 31.
Chief minister A. Revanth Reddy is expected to pick the next chief secretary from among eight special chief secretaries currently serving in the state government.
Eight senior officials in contention
According to officials in the Secretariat, the main contest is between Jayesh Ranjan, special chief secretary of the municipal administration department, and Vikas Raj, special chief secretary for roads and buildings and transport.
Sources said the chief minister may choose one of the two for the state’s top bureaucratic post.
Other special chief secretaries in the fray include Shashank Goel, serving as special chief secretary at Telangana Bhavan in New Delhi; Sanjay Jaju, secretary in the Union ministry of information and broadcasting; Sabyasachi Ghosh, special chief secretary handling flagship programmes of the state government; Naveen Mittal, special chief secretary of the energy department; and Dana Kishore, special chief secretary for labour and also serving as special chief secretary to the governor.
Senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar was also among the eligible officers, but he was recently suspended in connection with the Formula E-car race case and has not been given any posting.
Jayesh Ranjan’s administrative record under scrutiny
Jayesh Ranjan has been one of the key bureaucrats in the state since the formation of Telangana. For nearly seven to eight years, he handled the industries and information technology departments as principal secretary and later as special chief secretary.
However, after the Congress government assumed office, differences reportedly emerged between him and industries minister D. Sridhar Babu. Officials said the minister objected to Ranjan’s working style and the perception that he reported directly to the chief minister.
Following this, he was moved out of the industries department. The government later assigned those portfolios to a task force led by the chief minister. Ranjan was recently posted as special chief secretary of the municipal administration department.
Some IAS officers, however, say managing a single department is different from coordinating the entire administrative machinery of the government. They say it remains to be seen how effective he would be in the role of chief secretary.
Vikas Raj seen as straightforward officer
Vikas Raj, on the other hand, is known for his straightforward approach and has remained largely free of controversies so far.
Officials say there are no major instances where he took strong initiatives to drive the administrative machinery, though he has maintained a steady record in the departments he handled.
Meanwhile, sources indicate that bringing Shashank Goel from Telangana Bhavan in New Delhi for the chief secretary’s post is unlikely.
Similarly, Sanjay Jaju, currently serving as secretary in the Union ministry of information and broadcasting, is reportedly not keen on returning to the state.
Sabyasachi Ghosh has been handling focal posts related to important government programmes since the Congress came to power. However, recently promoted officers Naveen Mittal and Dana Kishore are considered less likely to be chosen for the top position.
With elections approaching in the next two years, the government is expected to prefer an officer who can accelerate welfare schemes and development programmes simultaneously.
