CM KCR picks Somesh as Chief Secretary

Hyderabad: The 1989 batch senior IAS officer and Special Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar has taken charge as the fifth Chief Secretary of Telangana after the incumbent SK Joshi retired from the services on attaining superannuation on Tuesday.

The Government also issued orders appointing SK Joshi as the Advisor to the state government on irrigation. Earlier, R Vidyasagar Rao had served as Advisor to the state government on irrigation.

The Chief Minister chose Joshi for this coveted post as he had in the past played a key role in the construction of one of the world's largest lift irrigation projects like Kaleshwaram project.

Sources said that Joshi will take up the responsibility of monitoring and completion of the ongoing irrigation projects in coordination with the departments concerned.

The choice as new Chief Secretary fell on Somesh Kumar because of his administrative skills. Another factor that went in his favour was that he has another three years of service and the Chief Minister was of the opinion that an officer who has long service would give stability to administration and it would be easy to implement the government schemes at a faster pace.

Somesh Kumar it may be mentioned here was instrumental in fulfilling the tasks mainly revenue generation set by the Chief Minister.

He is also known for streamlining the Commercial Taxes department after the single tax regime GST was brought into force in the country in 2017 and increased the revenues by plugging all the loopholes in the tax collections.

As GHMC Commissioner between 2013 and 2015, he had introduced many reforms, including 5 rupee meals for poor and launched the SRDP (Strategic Road Development Programme) aiming to ease traffic congestions in Hyderabad.

Post-Graduate in MA (Psychology) from Delhi University, Somesh served as Psychologist in DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) before joining the Indian Administrative Services.

Officials said that the new Chief Secretary will keep the key departments of all revenue-related departments with him until a capable official is found by the Chief Minister.