Ex-Air India chief Jadhav Karnataka's new chief secretary

Former chairman and managing director of state-run carrier Air India and IAS officer Arvind Jadhav will be Karnataka's new chief secretary from Thursday.

"Arvind Jadhav, chairman of Karnataka Appellate Tribunal, Bengaluru, is appointed as chief secretary to government of Karnataka with effect from December 31 vice Kaushik Mukherjee, retiring from service on superannuation," an official notification said here.

The 1978 batch IAS officer of Karnataka cadre was Air India chairman from May 2009 to August 2011, when he was on deputation to the centre.

Prior to heading the quasi-judicial tribunal since May 2015, Jadhav was additional chief secretary, tourism, from November 2012 to April 2015.

Returning to the state from central deputation by 2011-end, Jadhav was chairman of Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development & Finance Corporation Ltd January-November 2012.

Jadhav's tenure, as the state's top bureaucrat will be for only six months unless extended, as he will be retiring from service on June 5, 2016.

In the race to the top post, Jadhav prevailed over three additional chief secretaries -- K. Rathna Prabha (1981 batch), S.K. Pattanayak (1982 batch) and V. Umesh (1981 batch).