Anurag Rastogi likely to be new Haryana chief secretary

Anurag Rastogi, a 1990-batch IAS officer, is likely to succeed Vivek Joshi as the chief secretary of Haryana.

Joshi, a 1989-batch IAS officer, who took over as Haryana chief secretary in November 2024, was appointed as Election Commissioner on Monday.

Rastogi, presently serving as Financial Commissioner, Revenue, and additional chief secretary (Finance), has served as chief secretary for three days after TVSN Prasad's retirement on October 31 last year.

Though Joshi was appointed as the chief secretary, the government handed over the charge to Rastogi till the former, then on central deputation, joined on November 4, 2024.

Despite a seniority dispute among the officers of the 1990-batch, the government chose to give charge to Rastogi and later posted him as FCR, a position usually occupied by the seniormost officer after the chief secretary.

The government, clearly indicating its choice without addressing the dispute or giving its decision on the representation by the officers of the batch, had settled the matter.

With Joshi’s new appointment, sources said Rastogi will be the obvious choice of the state government as the new chief secretary and his orders are likely to come shortly.

The seniority dispute among the IAS officers of the 1990-batch arose after three officers—Ankur Gupta, Anurag Rastogi and Raja Sekhar Vundru—challenged the present gradation list claiming that Sudhir Rajpal, the seniormost as per this list, and Sumita Misra, placed above them, should in fact be lower in the pecking order since they were “outsiders” and had been transferred from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, respectively.

Though the issue remains unresolved, Gupta has retired since then while Rajpal and Misra have been posted as ACS, Health, and ACS, Home.

Rastogi’s elevation is likely to trigger a reshuffle since the charge of the all-important departments of revenue and finance will have to be handed over.