Retd bureaucrats enjoying plum posts, courtesy govt

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 13

The BJP government, led by Manohar Lal Khattar, is following in the footsteps of the previous Congress government by appointing retired “blue-eyed” bureaucrats to plum posts.

After resisting the temptation of post-retiral rehabilitation of former IAS and IPS officers for nearly three years after assuming office on October 26, 2014, the Khattar government seems to have succumbed to the pressure of the powerful bureaucratic lobby.

The latest case is of former Chief Secretary DS Dhesi, who has been given the plum post of Chairman of the Haryana State Electricity Commission.

Only recently, the Khattar government had appointed former IPS officer RK Pachnanda as Chairman of the Haryana Public Service Commission. Earlier, another IPS officer YP Singal was handpicked as the Haryana State Information Commission chairman.

The IAS officers rehabilitated post-retirement include KK Khandelwal, who was appointed chairman of the Gurugram Bench of the Haryana Real Estate Regulatory Authority, and Rajan Gupta, who was made chairman of the Panchkula Bench of the HRERA last year.

Earlier this year, Ram Niwas was appointed chairman of the State Police Complaint Authority while another bureaucrat Chander Prakash was appointed State Information Commissioner in December 2017. A former HCS officer, Narinder Yadav, was also made State Information Commissioner.

During the 10-year tenure of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the state government had appointed a number of retired bureaucrats to plum posts, including constitutional posts. So much so that at least six chief secretaries, who retired during Hooda’s tenure, were rehabilitated after retirement.

The rehabilitation on key posts entitles the bureaucrats to retain government accommodation and perks.

Perks retained 

• The Manohar Lal Khattar government appoints nearly 10 former bureaucrats to plum posts
• The Hooda government has reportedly re-employed over 50 former bureaucrats
• Former Chief Secretary DS Dhesi latest in the list to be appointed as HERC Chairman
• Re-employment entitles them to retain government accommodation and perks