Lately, a 1994-batch Senior IAS officer, Mr. Praveen Prakash, opted for voluntary retirement (VRS) from the Indian Administrative Service, which was immediately granted by the Andhra Pradesh government. For many in the state’s bureaucratic circle, this development came as a bolt from the blue as they had not expected that someone once one of the most powerful bureaucrats in the state would hang the gloves so abruptly. Officer Prakash is set to retire voluntarily on September 30th.
IAS Praveen Prakash was widely regarded as one of the most forward-looking and proactive civil servants in the state and was also a close aide of the former CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. In the YSRCP regime, Officer Prakash served as the Principal Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) and was also given additional charge of Principal Secretary (Political) in the General Administration Department. He also served as the Principal Secretary for School Education in the YSRCP government.
However, after the change in the political regime of Andhra Pradesh in the State Legislative Assembly Elections of 2024, the newly formed TDP government reshuffled and reassigned new responsibilities to bureaucrats, except for three IAS officers close to the former CM: Ms. Y Srilakshmi (1988 batch), Mr. Rajat Bhargava (1990 batch), and Mr. Praveen Prakash. These officers were transferred to the General Administration Department and were left without new positions.
Officer Prakash had served as a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Human Resource Development and later in the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs during his central deputation.
