Two states swap IAS officials

Hyderabad: The Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments have came to an understanding to swap three officers after final allotment of IAS officers.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation  chief commissioner  Somesh Kumar was allotted to Andhra Pradesh while AP industrial and commerce department’s principal secretary J.S.V. Prasad and

APTransco chairman and managing director Ajay Jain were   allotted to Telangana.

According to sources, Telangana chief secretary Rajeev Sharma, and his AP counterpart I.Y.R. Krishna Rao have discussed the issue and have come to an understanding.

Mr Somesh Kumar had played key role in the recent household survey of the Telangana government while in AP, Mr J.S.V. Prasad and Mr Ajay Jain are working in key positions.

The Telangana government wants to retain Mr Kumar while AP wants Mr Prasad and Mr Jain to continue in the state.

The chief secretaries recently discussed the issue and decided to swap these three IAS officers. For this, the approval of the Chief Ministers of both the states is required after which the three can continue to work in their current states on deputation.

Meanwhile, IAS officer  Ajay Sahani, who is presently working as principal secretary in AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s office (CMO), has been allotted to Telangana. It is not clear whether the AP government will ask the Telangana government to send him on deputation.

Senior IAS officers said that since Mr Sahani’s wife, Ms Neelam Sahani, has been allotted to Andhra Pradesh, as a spouse case, Mr Sahani may also be allotted to AP.

The final list of All India Service officers will be announced soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives his nod, which is expected by this week.