The 1991 batch senior IAS officer L K Atheeq has been made the Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Mr Siddaramaiah.
Mr Lateeq’s experience includes working as Chief Executive Officer (CEO0 of a District Government (Zilla Panchayat), District Magistrate in two districts, at the state level as Director of Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation and State Project Director of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Education for All Campaign). At the national level he served as Director in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). At the international level he worked as a representative of India on the Board of the World Bank Group at Washington DC.
He has also worked as the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Karnataka Mr. Siddaramaiah and advised the CM on staffing of senior and middle management, and on policies and programs of the Government.
He has been a Government nominee on the Boards of the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd., Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd., Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd., Information Technology Parks Ltd., and a set of Irrigation companies. He worked as Principal Secretary & eventually as Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of Rural Development & Panchayat Raj department for 5 years.
He is passionate about education and health policy and governance reform. H in the Prime Minister’s Office when education became a fundamental right and higher education saw unprecedented expansion. He played a major role in revamping of the Integrate Child Development Services, emergence of a National Health Mission, and the Food Security Law. He likes films, books, music and poetry and is also fond of travel and food.
He will replace Dr Rajneesh Goel, an IAS officer of 1986 batch. Dr Goel has been appointed the Chief Secretary of Karnataka, and will assume the charges from November 30th from the outgoing Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma, who is retiring from service on November 30. Dr. Goel, so far held the post of Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department. Now he has been left with charge of Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister.
Mr. Goel will be the 40th Chief Secretary of Karnataka. Mr. Goel’s wife’, Shalini Rajneesh, is also an IAS officer and is serving as the Additional Chief Secretary. The Goel couple hails from Punjab.
The state government took out an order on November 27, which mandated Mr L K Atheeq’s appointment. Mr Atheeq also has the responsibility of Finance Department. He was given charge of additional chief secretary of the finance department on June 30 this year.
