On BJP govt’s request, Anurag Rastogi gets one-year extension as Haryana Chief Secretary

The Union Government has granted a one-year extension in service to Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, following a request from the BJP-led state government. The decision, communicated by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to the state government yesterday, is being seen as a major setback to several senior IAS officers of the 1990 and 1991 batches who were hoping for elevation.

Advertisement

The privileged 1990 batch

- Prabodh Saxena, outgoing Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh, was granted a six-month extension by the Central government in March

- Manoj Ahuja, Odisha Chief Secretary, received a one-year service extension beginning January 1, 2025, on the state’s recommendation

Rastogi, who officially retires on June 30, was appointed Chief Secretary earlier this year after then-incumbent Vivek Joshi was appointed Election Commissioner. At the time, the BJP government bypassed the seniority principle and elevated Rastogi, who is No. 3 in the Haryana gradation list, ahead of his batchmates Sudhir Rajpal (No. 1) and Sumita Misra (No. 2).

Sources said Rastogi benefited from an unresolved seniority-related dispute among 1990-batch officers. Rajpal and Misra were initially allocated non-Haryana cadres and joined the state cadre later, prompting other batchmates to raise objections. While the matter remains undecided, Rajpal and Misra continue to hold the top two gradation positions.

The government’s move to extend Rastogi’s tenure has effectively ruled out any immediate chances for other contenders — 1990-batch officers Anand Mohan Sharan and Raja Shekhar Vundru, as well as 1991-batch officers Vineet Garg, Anil Malik, G Anupama, AK Singh and Abhilaksh Likhi.

The post of Chief Secretary — the administrative head of the state bureaucracy — is one of the most coveted positions in the civil service. The trend of granting extensions to officers close to political leaderships is being seen increasingly as a norm rather than an exception.

Across other states too, similar patterns are visible. In Himachal Pradesh, Rastogi’s batchmate Prabodh Saxena was granted a six-month extension in March this year. Similarly, Odisha Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja (1990 batch) was given a one-year extension starting January 2025.

In a particularly notable case, Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary DS Mishra enjoyed an unprecedented two-and-a-half-year extension before retiring in June 2023.