ACS Onkar Sharma stripped of important portfolios

Additional Chief Secretary Onkar Sharma, who conducted the fact-finding inquiry into the death of Chief Engineer Vimal Negi, has been stripped of all the important departments he previously held, with the state government assigning him only the Tribal Development department.

The department of Personnel late last night issued the notification of the new assignment to Sharma, a 1994 batch IAS officer who was in the race for being appointed Chief Secretary. Surprisingly, Hairkesh Meena, a 2012 batch IAS whose name figures in the FIR in connection with Negi’s death has been appointed Special Secretary, Youth Services and Sports. There is no information so far on the posting of Shimla SP Sanjeev Gandhi, who too had proceeded on leave following the handing over of the case to the CBI, on the demand of his family to ensure a free and fair probe.

Sharma had previously held key departments, including Revenue, Jal Shakti, Home, Vigilance, and Tribal Development, and served as the chairman of the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board. It is now expected that both Sharma and Meena, former Managing Director of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL), will resume their duties starting tomorrow.

The government had asked them and Shimla SP Sanjeev Gandhi to proceed on leave on May 27, last month following allegations of indiscipline in the handling of the Negi case.

Following the issuing of the posting of Sharma, social media was flooded with reactions that he had been meted unjust treatment. People came out in support of Sharma, who enjoys the reputation of being an upright and efficient officer.

CM Sukhu had taken serious note of the fact that Sharma and the then Director General of Police Atul Verma had filed their affidavits before the high court without the knowledge of the Advocate General. Sharma had been entrusted with the responsibility of conducting a fact finding inquiry into the death. He had declined the request of the Department of Power to give an opportunity to the officers, named in the FIR, to clarify their stand.

The department of Home, Vigilance and Revenue, held by Sharma will now be looked after by Kamlesh Kumar Pant, a 1993 batch officer in the rank of Additional Chief Secretary. The Jal Shakti department, earlier with Sharma had been given to Kadam Sandeep Vasant, a 2008 batch IAS officer on May 27 who is presently posted as Secretary, Technical Education.