Hyderabad: The race for the Telangana chief secretary (CS) post has intensified as K Ramakrishna Rao’s current extension is set to end this month, triggering speculation in bureaucratic circles over a possible third extension or the appointment of a new CS. While chief minister A Revanth Reddy is reportedly keen to retain him, given his extensive experience in state finance matters, no official communication has yet been sent to the Centre seeking a further extension, official sources said.If he is not granted another extension, the state govt may consider appointing him as an adviser on finance and resource mobilisation.Ramakrishna Rao was due to retire on Aug 31, 2025. However, he was first granted a seven-month extension till March 31, 2026, followed by a further three-month extension, which will end on June 30. While some officers believe he is unlikely to receive another extension, others point out that there have been instances in some states where officers have been granted extensions of nearly two years, subject to the Centre’s discretion.“Everything depends on the relationship between the Centre and the state govt. However, chief minister Revanth Reddy’s criticism of the Centre over Metro and other issues could also have an impact on such decisions,” a senior IAS officer said.Although around ten special chief secretary-rank officers are available, the state govt may consider three to four officers for the coveted post.Three officers are currently seen as front-runners for the post: 1992-batch officers and special chief secretaries Jayesh Ranjan, Sanjay Jaju and Vikas Raj. Jayesh Ranjan is serving as special CS for Municipal Administration, while Vikas Raj is handling the Transport, Roads and Buildings Department. Sanjay Jaju is currently on central deputation and is keen to return to the state if offered the CS post. Jayesh Ranjan has closely worked with the chief minister’s office on several matters, particularly industries, investments and special projects after Revanth Reddy assumed office. He also played a key role in organising the Global Summit in December last year.The 1990-batch special chief secretary Shashank Goel is the senior-most IAS officer currently serving with the Telangana govt and is presently in Delhi. Although he is the most senior, he is due to retire in Sept. Present CS K Ramakrishna Rao’s batchmate, 1991-batch special CS Arvind Kumar, is scheduled to retire in Oct this year; he is currently under suspension in the Formula E-race case.
