Hyderabad: K Ramakrishna Rao, the IAS officer who has shaped every Telangana budget since 2014, has been appointed as the new chief secretary of the state. A 1991-batch officer, Rao takes over from Santhi Kumari, who retired from service on Wednesday. He is currently serving as the Special Chief Secretary in the Finance Department and will continue to hold full additional charge of the same. With his retirement due at the end of August, senior officials indicate that a six-month extension is being considered.
Rao’s selection came after Chief Minister Revanth Reddy opted for him over his senior, 1990-batch officer Shashank Goel. While Goel had been heading the Marri Chenna Reddy Human Resource Development Institute, he has now been posted as the Vice-Chairman of the Centre for Good Governance. Despite being batch senior, Goel was not seen as a serious contender for the top post, according to senior bureaucrats.
Rao has been a central figure in managing Telangana’s finances since its formation. From drafting budgets for both the previous BRS government and the current Congress-led administration to implementing the Integrated Financial Management & Information System (IFMIS), his work has shaped the state’s fiscal policies. He has also overseen the planning and reorganisation departments, handled post-bifurcation issues, and managed the redistribution of employees between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Throughout his career, Rao has remained in state service and has never been on central deputation.
A native of Nandyala district in present-day Andhra Pradesh, Rao studied at government residential institutions before graduating in engineering from IIT Kanpur. He later completed a master’s degree at IIT Delhi and an MBA in Investments from Duke University in the United States. His administrative experience includes roles as collector of Adilabad and Guntur, Director of School Education, and Director General of the Centre for Good Governance.
The appointment was announced alongside a large-scale bureaucratic reshuffle in the state. Jayesh Ranjan, a 1992-batch officer who was earlier serving as Special Chief Secretary of the ITE&C and Sports Department, has now been made CEO of the Industry and Investment Cell in the Chief Minister’s Office and SPEED, and has also been given additional charge of tourism and culture. Smita Sabharwal has been posted back to the Telangana Finance Commission as its member secretary. Dana Kishore has been moved from the Municipal Administration & Urban Development Department to the Labour Employment Department, replacing Sanjay Kumar, who now takes over as Special Chief Secretary, Industries and Commerce, ITE&C, and Sports.
T.K. Sreedevi has been appointed Secretary of the Municipal Administration Department (outside HMDA limits), while Ilambarithi K. will serve as Secretary of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Area & Urban Development Department. R.V. Karnan, who was Director of Health & Family Welfare, has been posted as the new Commissioner of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. K. Shashanka has been appointed as Commissioner of the Future City Development Authority. S. Harish, who was serving as Special Commissioner in the I&PR Department, has been made Chairman and Managing Director of Telangana State Power Generation Corporation, taking over from Sandeep Kumar Sultania who held the post in additional charge.
In addition to these key changes, ten more IAS officers have been transferred and given new postings.
BI Bureau
