The career of controversial IAS Praveen Prakash has ended abruptly. Wherever he was, he used to create sensations and also controversies, besides quarrels with government employees and colleagues. Closely associated with former chief minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy, in early yearly he has become a `super chief minister’, heading Chief Minister’s office and known as enjoying more powers then chief minister himself.
He was known for bypassing senior officers like Chief Secretary while issuing government orders and giving directions to various departments. Soon after a change of government recently in the state, instead of attempting to adjust to the new environment, he had applied for VRS saying that he could not work in the coalition government. His service ended on Monday after the government approved his request.
Praveen Prakash is a 1994 batch IAS officer from Uttar Pradesh. His career started as Assistant Collector of Kurnool. After that he worked as Municipal Commissioner of Guntur and Vijayawada. When YS Rajasekhara Reddy was the CM, he was Visakha collector, where he attracted the ire from the Election Commission.
He was also Collector of East Godavari and Ranga Reddy. The closeness with Jagan led to the governance of Hyderabad metropolis. After the death of YS, he worked in insignificant posts for a few years, going to the center on deputation from 2013-2017. After that, he worked as the Resident Commissioner of AP Bhavan till September 2019.
After Jagan came to power, Praveen Prakash was appointed as Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister in September 2019. In addition, he was the chief secretary of the important GAD. Posting of IAS, appointments of heads of departments, CM’s affairs… all this was taken care of by himself. Bureaucrats also revolved around him.
YCP circles alleges that he was behind several controversial decisions of Jaganmohan Reddy like giving YCP colors to government buildings, conducting local bodies polls during COVID 19, introduction of English Medium, fighting against State Election Commission etc.
Practically he became a shadow of Jaganmohan Reddy in all administrative matters. Employees Unions complained several times against his harsh and insulting attitude to the Chief Minister. With his high-handed actions, he has brought a situation where Jagan himself felt that he cannot bear him even for a moment in the CMO.
Jagan removed him from the CMO in February 2022 and sent him back as the Resident Commissioner of AP Bhavan, New Delhi. Exactly eight months later, in November 2022, Praveen Prakash returned to AP. He secured a key post of R&B Chief Secretary. Though his efforts to go back to CMO failed, later he got the post of Principal Secretary of the School Education Department. He served in the same post until the coalition government came.