Addl CS stripped of important portfolios, likely to join today

Additional Chief Secretary Onkar Sharma, who conducted the fact-funding inquiry into death of Chief Engineer Vimal Negi, has been stripped of all the important departments held by him earlier as the state government has given him only the Tribal Development.

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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, Harikesh Meena, a 2012 batch IAS whose name figures in the FIR in connection with the death of Chief Engineer Vimal Negi 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 Vimal Negi case to the CBI, on the demand of his family to ensure a free and fair probe.

Sharma had been holding the important departments of Revenue, Jal Shakti, Home and Vigilance, Tribal Development and Chairman of HP State Pollution Control Board prior to this. It is now being expected that both Sharma and Meena will join duty from tomorrow. The government had asked Sharma, Harikesh Meena, who was earlier Managing Director, Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation (HPPCL) and Shimla SP Sanjeev Gandhi to proceed on leave on May 27 last month following allegations of indiscipline in the handling of Vimal Negi death case.

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

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh 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 the responsibility of conducting a fact-finding inquiry into the death of Negi whose body was found on March 18 in Govindsagar in Bilaspur. 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 who was looking after Forest. 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.