Chief Secretary Saxena retires but suspense over his successor continues

Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena retired here today but the suspense over his successor was far from over. The government is yet to make an announcement in this regard. Saxena was given a farewell in the State Secretariat. He was scheduled to retire on March 31, but was given a six-month extension.

In his farewell speech, Saxena said that Himachal Pradesh had made remarkable progress since its formation, owing to the collective efforts of its people, leadership, officers and employees. He lauded the dedication of state employees who, despite adverse weather conditions, had consistently delivered exemplary services. He described the people of the state as hardworking and honest and extended his best wishes for their prosperity and well-being.

Additional Chief Secretary KK Pant praised Saxena’s services to the state and felicitated him on the occasion. Secretary, Secretariat Administration, Rakesh Kanwar welcomed Saxena.

The front-runners for the Chief Secretary’s post include 1988-batch IAS officer Sanjay Gupta, who is the senior-most bureaucrat and is due to retire next year. Other officers in the race are Additional Chief Secretary Kamlesh Kumar Pant (1993 batch), who will retire in 2030; and Additional Chief Secretary Onkar Chand Sharma (1994 batch), who is third in the seniority list and due to retire in 2027.