Major shake-up in T babudom, Harichandana named Hyd collector, Lokesh new CCLA
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Hyderabad: Telangana govt on Thursday transferred 36 IAS officers, including top bureaucrats and several district collectors, in a major reshuffle—the largest bureaucratic overhaul in the past one year since the Congress assumed power in Dec 2023.
Posts in revenue, energy, Hyderabad collectorate, and Delhi coordination saw high-profile changes, hinting at an administrative reset designed to bolster CM Revanth Reddy's social justice, land reform, and national coordination agenda.
Significantly, Navin Mittal, principal secretary of the revenue department for the last two years, has been shifted to the energy department. His replacement, DS Lokesh Kumar (from panchayat raj and rural development), has been given full additional charge as revenue secretary and chief commissioner of land administration (CCLA)—a sensitive post linked to the contentious land records and Bhu Bharati issues.
In a high-visibility swap, Hyderabad district collector Anudeep Durishetty was moved to Khammam, while Dasari Harichandana, currently special secretary in roads and buildings, was named as the new Hyderabad collector—administratively crucial post. District collectors of Medchal Malkajgiri, Siddipet, Nizamabad, Sangareddy, and others were also changed.
Senior bureaucrat Shashank Goel was appointed resident commissioner in Telangana Bhavan, Delhi.
The incumbent, Gaurav Uppal, will now handle coordination with the govt of India on central projects and schemes.
Other transfers include: N Sridhar (SC development) moved to panchayat raj; he retains charge of mines and geology, Jyothi Budha Prakash takes over SC development and planning, while Hanmanthu, former Nizamabad district collector, now heads stamps and registrations.
Sangareddy distirct collector Valluru Kranthi was made MD of Telangana Tourism Development Corporation, replacing IPS officer Prakash Reddy.
Information and public relations department saw a shuffle too. Commissioner S Harish, recently posted to TG Genco, was relieved of I&PR and revenue (disaster management) duties. Chekka Priyanka is the new I&PR commissioner.
The other notable changes were: E Naveen Nicolas, secretary of Telangana Public Service Commission (TGPSC), now heads the school education department, as Priyanka Ala replaces him as secretary, TGPSC.
GHMC additional commissioners Killu Sivakumar Naidu and Sneha Shabarish were shifted. Sivakumar, facing cadre issues, goes to irrigation; Sneha becomes Hanumakonda district collector, while P Praveenya (Hanumakonda) moves to Sangareddy as collector.
Medchal district collector Gowtham Potru is now director (projects and personnel), SCCL; replaced by Mikkilineni Manu Choudary. T Vinay Krishna Reddy (Nizamabad) and K Hymavathi (Siddipet) round out the new collector postings.
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Activists consider these to be 'institutional murders', since every part of the education institution – including the student body, the faculty and the administration – are said to work in tandem to make sure that caste hierarchies are upheld and no voices can be raised against it. This leaves the student completely cornered. Some say that caste-based discrimination, humiliating abuse and alienation by peers have pushed students like Payal Tadvi, Darshan Solanki, Ayush Ashna and Varad Sanjay Nerkar over the edge. They were allegedly targeted for belonging to a certain caste and viewed as not fit to be in such institutions. There are no avenues for redressal of complaints as well, since the administration too engages in suppressing their voices, activists say. While a few of these cases received media attention, many others were recorded through an independent study by the Delhi-based Insight Foundation, led by educationist Anoop Kumar. Path ahead Ashwini claims that 'currently there is no specific legislation in India which addresses caste-based discrimination in higher education for Dalit and Adivasi students. While some mechanisms such as grievance redressal cells exist in colleges and universities, there is no exclusive framework to protect students from marginalised backgrounds in academic spaces.' Therefore, although some critics believe that the draft Rohith Vemula (Prevention of Exclusion or Injustice) (Right to Education and Dignity) Bill is a politically motivated move by the Congress, Ashwini believes that 'the intention behind the Rohith Vemula Act is to fill this gap and ensure a safe space for students coming from marginalised backgrounds'. Such a law becomes crucial in an education system where, according to her, 'student suicides among marginalised communities highlight the disproportionate discrimination faced by them'. She claims that there is a pattern of structural exclusion and systematic discrimination against Dalit and Adivasi students, and that this legislation is important to create a 'safer academic environment' for them. But critics also raise questions of political motivation and appropriation of the long-fought struggles of activists like Radhika Vemula and Abeda Tadvi in creating an equitable and safe educational space by Rahul Gandhi and the Congress. According to the UNHRC special rapporteurs, the draft law has the potential to make effective changes – but this can only be realised if such expert criticism and recommendations are taken into account and the drafting process becomes more publicly participatory. Tamoghna Chakraborty is an intern at The Wire. If you know someone – a friend or a family member – at risk of suicide, please reach out to them. The Suicide Prevention India Foundation maintains a list of telephone numbers they can call to speak in confidence. The TeleManas helpline, a government helpline, functions 24×7, its numbers are 1-800 891-4416 or 14416. You could also take them to the nearest hospital.
