Chief Minister Revanth Reddy often used to proudly declare that his CMO reflected social justice. He would mention Sangeetha Sarvey and Shahnawaz Qasim in speeches to highlight representation of SCs and minorities. But in the latest reshuffle, both have been quietly moved out. The official word is that performance is now the sole criteria. The CMO is being streamlined to focus only on delivery, remarked a little bird, calling it a shift towards a results-driven approach. Still, political circles haven’t missed the change. Some murmurs link the move to subtle discomfort over relations with members of earlier regimes — though no one says this aloud. For now, social justice is out of the spotlight and efficiency is firmly in. Inside the Secretariat, it’s clear — output are now the new currency.
KTR’s ex-team star yet to get her big break
KTR always prided himself on surrounding his team with efficient officers. That legacy has continued — many from his circle like Jayesh Ranjan and Narasimha Reddy remain in key roles despite regime change. Even Arvind Kumar, despite political heat over Formula E, saw his efficiency never questioned. But not everyone from the former inner circle has found their place. P Katyayani Devi, once among the trusted, has not yet landed a prominent posting. Her new role as Additional CEO of SERP — widely seen as a position created to accommodate — has left many wondering. Adding to the buzz, insiders whisper that equations with the former Chief Secretary may not have been smooth, which could have played a role in this transfer before leaving. Interestingly, while Harish Rao’s OSD is already in a significant post under Congress, KTR’s ex-OSD still seems to be waiting in the wings. Secretariat corridors are quietly watching to see if her turn will ever come.
Big IPS & Collectors rejigs lined up
The game of chairs in Telangana’s top bureaucracy is far from over. While the first round has seen key shifts, the big IAS rejig — especially Collectors — is still on the table. Buzz. Is that this will be taken up soon, with many district magistrates likely to be replaced. Now the attention is on IPS. A massive reshuffle is expected there too, with names already doing the rounds in police circles. However, the real suspense is over the City Commissionerates. Unlike the others, there’s uncertainty whether Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda CPs will see a change. political calls might come into play here, is the buzz among bureaucrats. The real shake-up is yet to begin.
CM fumes over liquor mess — Hari Kiran on thin ice?
The Excise wing is suddenly under intense heat — and it’s coming right from the top. During a recent review, Chief Minister is learnt to have been furious with Excise and Prohibition Commissioner Chevvuri Hari Kiran. The reason? Spurious liquor menace still running unchecked at the ground level. Insiders say the CM made no effort to hide his displeasure, bluntly asking why there has been no visible field-level crackdown. For those new to the corridors, Hari Kiran came from Andhra to Telangana on DoPT orders. But now, talk is that his return ticket may not be far away if performance continues to falter. The message is loud — in excise, excuses won’t work.
“No one is indispensable” — Jayesh Ranjan’s blunt remark
During the BRS era, a familiar line echoed in power circles — “If not us, who?” The narrative became so dominant that even some bureaucrats began believing it. Transfers were seen as catastrophic, with murmurs that things wouldn’t move without certain officers at the helm. But that myth is finally crumbling. In a rare and pointed comment, senior IAS officer and association secretary Jayesh Ranjan openly pushed back. In a recent interview, he made it clear — bureaucracy doesn’t stop for anyone. His statement that has resonated widely in Secretariat corridors. The comment aimed at Smita Sabharwal instantly resonated within the bureaucracy. Her exit from Tourism department triggered talk that the Miss World event would be a mess without her. For many babus, Jayesh’s words struck a chord. First time someone said it aloud — system moves on, faces change, said a senior official, welcoming the no-nonsense message. Within the bureaucracy, the takeaway is simple — the era of “if not us, who?” is over.
