Governance

Bilkis Bano to Gachibowli, Telangana IAS Smita Sabharwal

April 18, 2025

Which can be seen as a subtle, or as such a subtle act of rebellion, Sabarwal is re -prepared messages in his support. On Thursday, she shared a post by a journalist who gave her picture and a message: “Every time a woman stands for herself, she stands for all women – Maya Angelo.”

Another he shares on the same day that lists seven of his “achievements”.

His “unnecessary dissatisfaction” has also provoked wings in the Telangana IAS circle. “She is becoming the queen of controversies in our cadre,” a female IAS officer told ThePrint.

Sabarwal (47), is currently the secretary of the Department of Tourism, Culture and Youth Affairs of Telangana. She is also arranging for the Grand Miss World pageant, hosting the state government next month.

On April 12, Telangana Police Serving his notice To make a way to make way for the development of the IT sector, to share an X post seen as a critical of tree-felting of the Reddy government in a forest of land near Hyderabad Central University (HCU). Despite massive protest against HCU students, the exercise continued until the Supreme Court ordered Halt,

The X post which is the bone of the controversy, was a ghibali-style AI-generated image, in which JCBS was depicted in front of the famous mushroom rock on the site, with a pair of deer and a peacock helplessly.

Police has allegedly planned to call Sabharwal For questioning in relation to his repost on 31 March, at the height of student protest – supported by BJP, BRS and civil society groups – according to the Congress State Government. The students have accused the government of trying to destroy a rich, wildlife-hawker forest cover.

CM Reddy received notices to Sabharwal a few days after the AI ​​content flagged the AI ​​material in connection with the Kancha Gachibovali land case for “misleading the misguided society and tarnish the image of the government”.

Sabarwal did not respond to Diprin’s call for comment. This report will be updated when and when it responds.

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‘Free Speech, Telangana Model’

Ever since the news about the notice got out of him, Sabarwal has been firing in posts on social media. On Wednesday, he shared a news report about the Supreme Court, in which the Telangana government was directed to take immediate steps to protect wildlife affected by deforestation.

On the same day, he re-shared a post provoking the Telangana police action stating: “Free speech-Telangana model”.

His social media posts have also attracted a lot of attention before, even strong political reactions.

In his X bio, Sabharwal described himself as ‘IAS officer, Army Brat’.

In August 2022, he stopped a dispute against the release of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano rape case.

“As a woman and a civil servant, I sit in mistrust, read the news on #Bilkisbanocase. We cannot rewrite our right to breathe free without any fear, again call myself an independent nation. #Justiceforbilkisbano,” He posted on X, while he was part of KCR’s CMO.

His views were seen depicting a woodcutter stand with the BJP at that time.

Subsequently, BJP leaders objected to the statements of the civil servant, who questioned his silence on the bail given to the accused in the Jubilee Hills gangrape case.

Then in July last year, Sabarwal gave strong reactions to question the need for reservation for persons with disabilities (PWD) in All-India Services (AIS).

His statement came at that time Pooja Khedkar dispute,

“As this debate is flowing – with all due respect for separate arbleds. Does an airline rent a pilot with a disability? Or will you rely on a surgeon with a disability. AIS (IAS, IPS, IFOS) is the nature of nature, field work, long -term time, the first time is needed, it is the first time that is the first time.”

Former Civil Servant Bala Lata Mallvarapu, who runs Hyderabad Academy Training AIS Aspirant, who runs, Was strongly criticized Sabarwal’s comments, fit her physically but “morally disabled, mentally disturbed”.

Shiv Sena UBT Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also called Sabarwal’s views “pathetic and exclusion”, while Supreme Court lawyer Karuna Nandi said she was “originally ignorant” on the matter.

Who is Smita Sabharwal

Sabarwal was born in 1977 originally from Darjeeling to a Bengali family. His father Pranab Das was a colonel in the army.

The family settled in Sainikpuri in Secunderabad, and Smita completed her school and college education there. The Telangana civil list shows that he is a graduate in the business law.

Sabharwal was one of the toppers with air rank of four in UPSC 2000 exam. He entered the service in 2001 at the age of 24 as part of undivided Andhra Pradesh cadre.

He is married to Akun Sabarwal, an IPS officer of Telangana cadre, who is currently on central deputation as a Inspector General, ITBP. Earlier, during the first term of BRS, Akun shook the Telugu film industry and led the investigation into the drug scam.

Smita Sabharwal herself worked in several major positions during the two-period rule of BRS.

As a secretary in the CMO, she was associated with KCR’s office since June 2014 when Telangana was formed. She was in charge of Irrigation Department, BRS’s ambitious drinking water scheme Mission Bhagirath, and monitored the work of Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project on Godavari.

During KCR’s tenure, when Governor Tamilisai Soundarajan was accusing KCR of sick treatment to refuse a helicopter to visit the districts, Sabarwal’s helicopter trips had become a matter of jealousy in bureaucracy to inspect the progress of water project works.

In 2015, Sabharwal filed a civil suit of Rs 10 crore against Outlook magazine on a caricature, believed that, “Walking on a fashion show ramp with his political owners”. He then called the lesson and caricature a “sexist” and “demorling”.

The KCR government also approved Rs 15 lakh for its legal expenses. In 2022, while hearing public interest cases against approval, the Telangana High Court ordered Sabarwal to pay the money, saying that the expenditure could not be seen for public purpose.

‘Being Frank is not the desired feature among IAS officers’

Another IAS officer said, “He is good, does not harm anyone, but the problem is his departure, which is refusing to mingle with colleagues, which has been taken as ego many times. In the last 10 years, only the perception that she was in the CMO of KCR, said another IAS officer.

After Revanth took over the state reins in December 2023, Sabarwal was posted as the Member Secretary, Telangana State Finance Commission for about a year for a year, seen as a shunting post.

Last year, along with other people, Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh appeared before the Commission, who investigate the alleged irregularities in the plan and execution of the Kaleshwaram project of Rs 1 lakh crore under KCR.

“Smita is skilled in his work, but he should start to seriously avoid unnecessary disputes. There is no need to say, its important public statements on X etc., on Kancha Gachibovali, the forums currently harassed the heads of the government. Plane is speaking our opinion, also publicly, it said another senior official.

(Edited by Geetanjali Das)

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