Smita Sabharwal gets key subjects at CMO

Hyderabad: Seeking to put an end to the rumblings of discontent among his team members, the Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday reallocated subjects to his secretaries in the CMO.

The exercise was apparently meant to placate the ruffled feelings of some officers. The Additional Secretary Smitha Sabharwal, who was said to be sulking over being allotted insignificant subjects, was given additional subjects to handle.

Sabharwal, who was earlier given three subjects, will now be handling four more subjects. It is said that she was unhappy with the nature of work in the CMO and was even contemplating to go back to the district administration.

Special Secretary Bhupal Reddy was also given two more subjects, in addition to the existing three. The Chief Minister's Principal Secretary S Narasinga Rao, who was asked to look after all the subjects that were not allotted to other secretaries, is now given 10 subjects.

No additional subjects have been given to Special Secretary Rajasekhara Reddy. After a delay of more than three months, the Chief Minister had allotted subjects to the Secretaries in his office on September 15 to assist him in taking decisions.

According to the original allotment, Special Secretary Rajasekhara Reddy was given medical, education, transport, law and CMRF. Smitha Sabharwal was given housing, women and child welfare and forests. Bhupal Reddy was been given welfare, endowments and civil supplies.

However, no order was issued in this regard. The government on Tuesday issued an order readjusting the subjects with the secretaries in the CMO. The secretaries in the CMO were appointed soon after the formation of TRS government in June. But they were not given specific subjects and were working as per the directions of the Chief Minister till September 15.

According to the latest order, Principal Secretary S Narasinga Rao would look after General Administration, including Law & Order, Information & Public Relations Department, Home, Finance, Planning, Information Technology, Electronics & Communications, Energy (including Singareni Collieries ), Municipal Administration & Urban, Revenue (Commercial Taxes, Prohibition and Excise and Stamps & Registration), Industries ( including Infrastructure & Investment), Roads & Buildings Departments and would be overall in-charge of CMO.

He would carry out overall supervision and coordination of work of all other officers and staff in CMO. The order said that Additional Secretary and Special Secretaries shall discuss with the Principal Secretary on any major policy issues.

He was also directed to look after subjects not specifically allotted to any other officer in the CMO. The order stated that Smitha Sabharwal would look after Panchayat Raj, Rural Development & RWS, Forests & Environment, Irrigation, Women Development, Child, Disabled & Senior Citizens, Housing, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, Cooperation & Marketing and Land Revenue and Disaster Management including ULC.

Special Secretary P Rajasekhara Reddy would retain Education (School Education, Higher Education & Technical Education), Transport, Medical Health & Family Welfare, Law and CMRF. Bhupal Reddy has been given Welfare Departments (SC, ST, BC & Minorities Development), Food & Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Sports & Youth Services, Culture & Tourism, Labour, Employment, Training & Factories and Endowment Departments. While there were 28 subjects required to be allotted, additional secretary and special secretaries were given 11 subjects in September and rest of them were kept with Principal Secretary.

List of fresh allocations
S Narasinga Rao,
Principal Secretary to CM
1. General Administration, including Law & Order, I & PR Dept.
2. Home Department
3. Finance Department
4. Planning Department
5. Information Technology, Electronics & Communications Department
6. Energy ( including Singareni Collieries ) Department
7. Municipal Administration & Urban Development Department
8. Revenue (Commercial Taxes, Prohibition and Excise and Stamps &
Registration) Department
9. Industries ( including Infrastructure & Investment) Department
10. Roads & Buildings Department
11. Overall incharge of C.M.O.
- Over all Supervision and coordination of the work of all other officers and staff in CMO.
- Addl. Secretary and Special Secretaries shall discuss with the Principal
Secretary to CM on any major policy issues.
12. Subjects not specifically allotted to any other Officer in CMO.

Smita Sabarwal,
Additional Secretary to CM
1. Panchayat Raj, Rural Development & RWS Department
2. Forests & Environment Department
3. Irrigation Department
4. Women Development, Child, Disabled & Sr. Citizens Department
5. Housing Department
6. Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, Co.op. & Marketing
Department
7. Land Revenue and Disaster Management including U.L.C.

P Rajasekhar Reddy,
Special Secretary to CM
1. Education ( School Education, Higher Education & Technical Education)
Department
2. Transport Department
3. Medical Health & Family Welfare Department
4. Law Department
5. CMRF

K Bhoopal Reddy,
Special Secretary to CM
1. Welfare Departments (SC, ST, BC & Minorities Development.)
2. Food & Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs
3. Sports & Youth Services, Culture & Tourism Department
4. Labour, Employment, Training & Factories Department
5. Endowment Department.