SP Singh is new Chief Secretary

Senior IAS officer Shekhar Prasad Singh took over as new Chief Secretary on Sunday. The 1983-batch officer, serving as Special Chief Secretary in the Panchayati Raj department, succeeds K Pradeep Chandra, who retired on Saturday.

In another appointment, A K Khan, who retired as Director General, ACB, was appointed Adviser for the Telangana State Minority Welfare. The government has also appointed Industries Secretary Arvind Kumar as Resident Commissioner of Telangana Bhavan in New Delhi.

The new Chief Secretary, known as SP Singh, is also placed in full additional charge of the ost of Chief Commissioner of Land Administration and Special Chief Secretary.He



would also hold additional charge to the post of Special Chief Secretary of Panchayat Raj, Rural Development and Rural Water Supply departments until further orders. Pradip Chandra had taken over as Chief Secretary on December 1.

Though it was expected that he would get an extension for another three months, the state government did not receive any such communication from the Centre till Saturday and hence the Chief Minister has decided to appoint Singh as the new CS.

It may be mentioned here the first Chief Secretary of the state, Rajiv Sharma, who retired as Chief Secretary on November 30, was given two extensions, three months each, since May 31.