Published Jun 10, 2026 | 12:44 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 10, 2026 | 12:44 PM
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
Synopsis: The Karnataka government has assigned key responsibilities to senior IAS officers in the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, with Additional Chief Secretary Tushar Giri Nath, Secretary P Rajendra Cholan and Private Secretary Dr Rajendra Prasad MN overseeing major departments and administrative functions. Political strategist Sunil Kanugolu and retired IAS officer LK Atheeq have also been retained from former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s team as Chief Adviser and Financial Adviser, respectively.
The Karnataka government on Monday, 8 June, assigned key responsibilities to senior IAS officers within the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
According to the order, Tushar Giri Nath, a 1993 batch IAS officer appointed as Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, will oversee departments including Finance, Urban Development, including Bengaluru Development, Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Water Resources, Forest, Ecology and Environment, Public Works, Home, Commerce and Industries, Information Technology and Biotechnology, Science and Technology, Energy, and Infrastructure Development.
He will also handle all policy matters, inter-state water disputes, infrastructure projects, correspondence with the Union government, and transfer and service matters relating to the departments under his charge.
P Rajendra Cholan, a 2008 batch IAS officer who was serving as Secretary to the Deputy Chief Minister, has been appointed Secretary to the Chief Minister.
He will be responsible for DPAR (Service Rules), service matters relating to KAS officers and Heads of Departments, Urban Development (Municipalities), Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Revenue, Health and Family Welfare, Medical Education, Transport, Higher Education, School Education, and several sectors under the Commerce and Industries Department, including MSMEs, textiles and handlooms, public enterprises, mines and geology, and cane development and sugar.
He will also oversee establishment matters of the Chief Minister’s Secretariat and Cabinet subjects related to the departments assigned to him.
Dr Rajendra Prasad MN, Private Secretary to the Chief Minister, has been entrusted with the Minor Irrigation, Co-operation, Tourism, Kannada and Culture, Housing, Labour, and Skill Development departments. He will also coordinate development-related issues concerning constituencies in the Bengaluru Division and organise meetings chaired by the Chief Minister.
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The Joint Secretary- and Deputy Secretary-level officers have also been assigned specific responsibilities. Deputy Secretary-1 will oversee the Minorities Welfare, Women and Child Development, Youth Empowerment and Sports, and Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs departments. The officer will also handle development-related issues in the Belagavi Division and coordinate with the Union government on infrastructure projects.
Deputy Secretary-2 will oversee the Social Welfare, Scheduled Tribes Welfare, Backward Classes Welfare, and Planning, Programme Monitoring and Statistics departments. In addition, the officer will handle constituency-related issues in the Kalaburagi Division and supervise externally aided projects.
Deputy Secretary-3 will oversee the Agriculture, Horticulture and Sericulture, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, and Fisheries, Ports and Inland Water Transport departments. The officer will also handle the nomination of non-official members and development-related matters concerning constituencies in the Mysuru Division.
Alongside the bureaucratic appointments, the Chief Minister’s Office will also have a team of advisers covering finance, legal affairs, politics and media.
The Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Chief Minister has been tasked with handling day-to-day public grievances; monitoring issues raised in newspapers, television and social media; submitting daily action-taken reports to the Secretary to the Chief Minister; overseeing protocol duties; and supervising grievances received by the Chief Minister, as well as the maintenance of the Chief Minister’s official residence and home office.
Among those retained from former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s team are political strategist Sunil Kanugolu and retired IAS officer LK Atheeq.
Kanugolu was appointed Chief Adviser to Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday, 8 June. He heads the political consultancy Inclusive Minds and had previously served as chief adviser during Siddaramaiah’s tenure as Chief Minister.
The government had earlier appointed LK Atheeq as Financial Adviser to the Chief Minister. Atheeq had resigned as Additional Chief Secretary to Siddaramaiah last year.
