Senior IAS officer Luthfulla Khan Atheeq, a trusted aide of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has been granted an extension following his retirement on January 31. Atheeq, a 1991-batch IAS officer, will continue to serve as Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister on a contractual basis starting February 1.
This extension is seen as an unprecedented move in recent years for an officer of additional chief secretary rank. Atheeq currently serves as the CM’s additional chief secretary and head of the finance department. The extension is reportedly tied to Siddaramaiah’s upcoming 2025-26 budget, which will mark his record 16th presentation as finance minister in March.
Hailing from Tumakuru with a postgraduate degree in agricultural economics, Atheeq has worked closely with Siddaramaiah on key policy matters since 2016.
Meanwhile, 1996-batch IAS officer Ritesh Kumar Singh has been appointed as the principal secretary of the finance department, effective February 1. Until then, Singh will concurrently manage his current role in school education and literacy and serve as officer on special duty in the finance department.
