Who is Smita Sabharwal, the IAS officer overseeing Miss World pageant? Why she was transferred
Smita Sabharwal, who was overseeing Miss World pageant, was recently moved back to her previous position from her role as Principal Secretary for 'Youth Affairs, Tourism and Culture'. She will now take charge as Member Secretary of the Telangana Finance Commission. Participants from around 140 countries and their delegations will be participating in the upcoming Miss World event scheduled to take place from May 7 to 31.
Problems ensued after the senior official, a 2001-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, shared an AI generated image construction equipment clearing trees, with two deer and a peacock in the foreground. This transfer comes at a crucial time Hyderabad is preparing to host the 72nd edition of Miss World pageant in the upcoming month.
Amid preparations in full swing in Telangana's capital, Smita Sabharwal's public disagreement over Kancha Gachibowli land dispute issue did not go well with Congress led Revanth Reddy government, which reportedly issued orders to reshuffle posts of senior officials on Sunday night.
The Congress government allegedly plans to sell the 400-acre area near Hyderabad Central University for infrastructure development and an IT park project. This project has garnered criticism from environmentalists and students who contest that the land is ecologically sensitive and is home to various plants and animal species.
The Telangana tourism department, the co-host of the event, under the vision of Smita Sabharwal was aiming to rebrand itself as a gateway to southern India with its new tagline, 'Telangana, Zarur Aana', ahead of the major event.
The 47-year-old IAS officer in focus, who held key positions under the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government led by K Chandrashekar Rao, had been working to promote handloom industry, destinations and local cuisine.
In an interview with The Indian Express, Smita Sabharwal had said, 'We also want to appeal to the global tourists. We talk about Ramappa temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, Buddhavanam Buddhist circuit, and Pochampally handloom centre. We want international designers to pick up the motifs and hope Louis Vuitton and Gucci will notice these designs that are age-old and timeless.'
The state government also reshuffled posts of MCR HRD Institute Director General, Shashank Goel; IT and Sports department Special Chief Secretary, Jayesh Ranjan; and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Commissioner, Ilambarithi K, among others, PTI reported.
First Published: 29 Apr 2025, 03:07 PM IST
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