IAS Officer Smita Sabharwal. File | Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal
The Telangana High Court, on Thursday (September 25, 2025), directed the State government not to initiate any adverse action against senior IAS officer Smita Sabharwal — who served as Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office during the stint of K. Chandrasekhar Rao — based on the findings of the P.C. Ghose Commission probing the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.
A Bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin, which heard her plea, said that no action should be taken against the officer till October 7.
Earlier, a similar protection was extended to former Chief Minister KCR, his former Cabinet colleague T. Harish Rao and retired IAS officer S.K. Joshi.
The officer contended that the Commission observed that she was found to be negligent and irresponsible in discharging duties while serving in the CMO office in the matters pertaining to execution of Kaleshwaram project. The present government might invoke action based on such findings of the Commission, the IAS officer stated.
Published – September 26, 2025 04:16 PM is
