Former Chief Secretary RS Tolia passes away

Tribune News Service

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Dehradun, December 6

Dr Raghunandan Singh Tolia, first Chief Information Commission and former Chief Secretary of Uttarkahand, passed away this morning. He was undergoing treatment for an ailment at Max Hospital in Delhi where he breathed his last.

Born in Dehradun on November 17, 1947, Tolia, a 1971 batch IAS officer, was among those who put in place the entire administrative machinery in Uttarakhand, when the state was carved out of Uttar Pradesh.

He was a versatile personality, who, after holding the top post of Chief Secretary of the state went on to become the first information commissioner. He played a key role in strengthening the workings of the State Information Commission.

Besides his administrative skills, he was also a man of letters. He wrote numerous articles and books, including British Kumaon Garhwal, Handbook for Public Information Officers and essays on development initiatives in Uttarakhand.

Dr Tolia belonged to the Munsiyari region of Pithoragarh and his love for hills was well known. And that was the reason he spent most of his time in Munsiyari after his retirement. He was of a strong opinion that all policy-making linked to the development of hills must be done in the hills and not in Dehradun.

He was also one of the few bureaucracts, who kept a clear cut view on hydropower projects of the state. Dr Tolia asserted that power was a necessity for sustenance. He favoured hydropower projects in Uttarakhand, pointing out that many parts of Garhwal and Kumaon hills faced an acute power crisis due to the non-availability of power and opposing hydro-power projects was not justified under such circumstances.

Meanwhile, Governor KK Paul, said Dr Tolia’s death has caused Uttarakhand lose an efficient administrator and an intellectual public servant.

Dr Tolia was a frequent visitor to Raj Bhavan for several progammes, like the recent topper’s conclave. Chief Minsiter Harish Rawat too expressed sorrow over his demise. The Congress, the BJP, the UKD, the Uttarakhand Parivartan Party and other parties have expressed grief over the demise of Tolia.