Former Nirmala Sitharaman Aide Nakul S.S. Appointed Secretary to Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar; Rajendra Cholan Retains Key CM-Linked Roles
Bengaluru, July 20: IAS officer Nakul S.S., who served as Private Secretary to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during his Central deputation, has been appointed Secretary to Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar with immediate effect, according to a Karnataka Government notification.
A 2010-batch Karnataka cadre IAS officer, Nakul returned to the State after completing his Central deputation and was posted as Secretary (Expenditure), Finance Department. Earlier this year, he was also entrusted with the additional charge of Managing Director, Karnataka State Finance Corporation (KSFC).
With the latest order, Nakul moves to the Chief Minister’s Office as Secretary to the Chief Minister, replacing Rajendra Cholan P., who had been holding the post as an additional charge.
Rajendra Cholan has had a long association with D.K. Shivakumar’s office. He earlier served as Shivakumar’s Secretary during his tenure as Deputy Chief Minister and continued in the Chief Minister’s Office after Shivakumar assumed office as Chief Minister. The latest government notification relieves him of the concurrent charge as Secretary to the Chief Minister.
Highly placed sources told The Bengaluru Live that Rajendra Cholan himself requested Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to relieve him of the additional responsibility in the Chief Minister’s Office. According to the sources, the Chief Minister accepted the request as part of the latest round of IAS postings. No official reason has been cited in the government notification, and the State Government has not issued any formal statement explaining the administrative decision.
Despite being relieved of the additional charge in the Chief Minister’s Office, Rajendra Cholan continues to hold two key assignments directly under the Chief Minister. He remains Managing Director of Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) and Commissioner of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA), both considered important positions in the State’s infrastructure and development ecosystem.
Senior IAS Team in the Chief Minister’s Office
With Nakul S.S.’s appointment, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s administrative team comprises a mix of senior and experienced IAS officers handling key policy, finance and infrastructure portfolios.
Tushar Giri Nath, a 1994-batch IAS officer, serves as Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister. He also holds the crucial portfolio of Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development Department, which oversees Bengaluru’s urban governance ecosystem, including the five city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) and other planning authorities in and around Bengaluru.
In addition, Tushar Girinath heads the BSMILE (Bengaluru Safe Mobility Integrated Livelihood Enhancement) initiative and also serves as the head of Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML), placing several of Bengaluru’s flagship urban development and civic administration initiatives under his supervision.
Another senior officer in the Chief Minister’s team is L.K. Atheeq, a 1990-batch IAS officer, who retired as Additional Chief Secretary to former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah before being appointed Finance Adviser to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. He also serves as Chairman of the Bengaluru Business Corridor project, one of the State Government’s flagship infrastructure initiatives that is being directly monitored by the Chief Minister.
The induction of Nakul S.S. adds another officer with significant experience in both the Union and State governments to the Chief Minister’s administrative team. His previous role in the Union Finance Ministry and subsequent responsibilities in Karnataka’s Finance Department are expected to strengthen coordination on financial administration and policy implementation within the Chief Minister’s Office.
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