A single social media post cost one of Telangana's top officials her job. Senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Smita Sabharwal lost her role as Principal Secretary for Tourism and Culture after sharing a controversial AI-generated image on her X (formerly Twitter) account.
The image, styled like a Ghibli animation, showed construction equipment clearing trees, with two deer and a peacock in the foreground. It highlighted the Telangana government's plan to develop a 400-acre area near Hyderabad Central University. This proposal has upset environmentalists, students, and activists. The Telangana High Court and the Supreme Court are currently reviewing the situation. Sabharwal’s choice to share her concerns online seems to have caused a quick political fallout.
Sources close to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that Sabharwal was asked to remove her post once it gained attention. However, she refused, claiming it was her right to keep it up. This defiance, along with the sensitive nature of the land dispute and the political risks for the Congress-led government, led senior officials, including one IAS and one IPS officer, to create a strong report against her. Sources said this report went to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who decided on her fate.
Sabharwal was called in not just for an explanation; the Cyberabad police also questioned her. Frustrated, she asked if the same actions would be taken against the thousands who also reshared the post. Her public challenge did not change the government's stance.
On Sunday, the government made significant changes by transferring over 20 officers. Sabharwal was moved back to her old position as Member Secretary of the Telangana Finance Commission. This is seen as a step down from her important role in the tourism department, especially with Hyderabad preparing to host the Miss World event in May.
Officials say the reshuffle was a normal process. However, sources suggest that Sabharwal's situation changed after a recent controversy. A source from the Chief Minister’s Office clarified: “The decision was unavoidable. She was warned but didn’t listen. The government couldn’t risk having a senior official publicly disagreeing with its policies.”
Sabharwal’s decline also highlights the political challenges she faced. A 2001-batch officer known for her skills and strong management, she previously held key positions under the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government led by K. Chandrashekar Rao. While she was the Secretary to the Chief Minister then, many viewed her as a trusted bureaucrat in the previous administration.
After Congress took power, she was moved from the Chief Minister's Office to a less important role in the Finance Commission. However, her new position as Principal Secretary for Tourism last November allowed her to show her skills. In a short time, Sabharwal created policy drafts, started reforms, and revitalised a department that had been stuck for a long time, receiving both praise and scrutiny.
Her strong performance in the tourism sector made some people in the new administration uneasy. Rumours circulated that she was being considered for a major role in the state’s publicity and media management, which she reportedly did not want.
At the same time, the controversy over the Kancha Gachibowli land remains a critical political issue. The Congress government plans to sell the land for infrastructure development and an IT park, claiming it is government-owned and that the proper processes are being followed. Environmentalists and students argue that the land is ecologically sensitive, home to various plants and animals and that destroying it would cause permanent damage.
Many saw Sabharwal’s reassignment as a sign of concern, as the state faced larger political and legal challenges.
Another senior bureaucrat, Jayesh Ranjan, has been given additional charge of the Youth Advancement, Tourism and Culture (YAT&C) Department following Sabharwal’s exit. Several other key officials, including Sanjay Kumar, Shashank Goel, and Dana Kishore, have also been reshuffled, signalling a broader administrative realignment.
Sabharwal, born in 1977 in Darjeeling and raised in Secunderabad, has been a role model for young civil servants. At age 22, she graduated with a degree in commerce from St. Francis College for Women and ranked 4th in the all-India Civil Services Examination. She gained recognition for projects like the 'Fund Your City' scheme in Warangal and her focus on involving citizens in urban development.
Her strong governance experience and straightforward style made her a significant figure in Telangana's administration. However, this recent change shows that even respected public servants can be affected by the ups and downs of politics, bureaucracy, and public opinion.
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