Race for Chief Secy’s post prolongs as Saxena gets six-month extension

Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena has got an extension of six months, prolonging the race for the top administrative post.

Preparations for Saxena’s farewell had already been made as the letter from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) of the Central Government granting him extension was awaited till late last evening. In fact, Saxena arrived at the farewell party organised by the Himachal Pradesh IAS Officers Association in his honour last night only to surprise everyone with his extension news.

Secretary (Personnel) M Sudha Devi broke the news of Saxena getting extension to the bureaucrats present at the farewell party. Interestingly, the preparations for honouring Saxena and recognising his services were made even at the Cabinet meeting held late last evening after the Budget session got over. However, as information about the DoPT approving Saxena’s extension came in, the cap and the muffler kept to honour him after the Cabinet meeting was sent away.

Interestingly, the press note issued by the Department of Information and Public Relation mentioned that the Cabinet lauded the services of the Chef Secretary, who is retiring later this month. After the DoPT’s letter was received, the press note was revised and the remarks about the Cabinet lauding Saxena’s services were dropped.

To the surprise of everyone, Saxena, a 1990-batch IAS officer, who was due to retire on March 31, was given extension in service while even ministers and top bureaucrats were not aware of the decision. Saxena was said to be the frontrunner for the vacant post of the Chairman of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA). It was believed that he would be adjusted on the RERA top post with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s blessings.

However, the screening committee headed by the Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal for the selection of the RERA Chairman did not consider Saxena’s candidature in view of his name figuring in a case when he was posted in the Union Finance Ministry in New Delhi. It was following Saxena’s exclusion from the list of probable candidates for the post of RERA Chairman that the state government initiated the process to give him extension.

The development comes at a time when the names of top bureaucrats, who were in the race for the post of Chief Secretary, had been shortlisted. However, they will now have to wait for at least six more months. The senior-most IAS officer in the state, Sanjay Gupta, a 1988-batch Himachal cadre officer, who was superseded earlier, was said to be in the race for the post of Chief Secretary. Gupta is at present posted as the Chairman of Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) Ltd and is lobbying hard for the top post. Gupta will retire on May 31, 2026.

Kamlesh Kumar Pant, a 1993-batch officer, is second in seniority among IAS officers in the state. He is at present posted as Additional Chief Secretary (Forest) and is also among the claimants to the top post. He had returned to Himachal recently after a long stint on deputation at the Centre. Pant will superannuate on December 31, 2030.

Next in line for the top post is Anuradha Thakur of the 1994 batch. She is at present on deputation to the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs. She will retire on April 30, 2030. Onkar Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue), also of 1993 batch, is considered a strong contender for the post of Chief Secretary. He will retire on February 28, 2027.