Is senior IAS officer Yerra Srilakshmi going to be the next chief secretary of Andhra Pradesh, in place of present chief secretary Adityanath Das?
This was the talk going in the official circles after watching the way she has been getting promotion after promotion within three months of joining the Andhra Pradesh cadre after getting a favourable order from Central Administrative Tribunal in December last.
On Monday, Srilakshmi got yet another promotion as the special chief secretary. Orders to this effect were issued by Adityanath Das late in the evening, obviously on the recommendation of chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The order said the promotion of Srilakshmi to the special chief secretary post was ad hoc and would be regularised subject to the disposal of cases pending against her in various courts.
It was only January 18, 2021 that the 1988-batch IAS officer was given the promotion as principal secretary, which was also subject to the court cases against her.
She had been working in the capacity of secretary in the Telangana cadre and was shifted to the Andhra cadre in December in the same capacity.
“Going by the way she is being given promotions, irrespective of the court cases against her, there is no wonder Jagan will make her as the chief secretary after the retirement of Adityanath Das on June 30, when he attains age of superannuation,” an official in the General Administration Department said.
Interestingly, Srilakshmi still has the service till June 30, 2026. If she gets promotion as the chief secretary, she will be the longest serving chief secretary of AP, subject to the return of Jagan to power in 2024 elections.
Srilakshmi is presently holding the key position in the Municipal Administration and Urban Development and has been entrusted with the task of formation of three capitals for Andhra and handling the issues in Amaravati.
Srilakshmi had served imprisonment in connection with Obulapuram mining case of Karnataka mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy. Later, she also faced troubles in the CBI cases against Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Though she was later released on bail and returned to service, the Telangana state was formed and she had been allotted to the Telangana cadre.
