Relief, rehabilitation, development priorities: Kullu DC

Anurag Chander Sharma, a 2016-batch Indian Administrative Service officer, has assumed charge as the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Kullu, marking a return to a district he knows well from his earlier administrative assignments. He took over the post on Wednesday amid a warm welcome by senior district officials and staff.

After assuming office, Sharma expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister and the state government for entrusting him with the responsibility. He underlined that his foremost priority would be to ensure the effective implementation of government welfare schemes at the grassroots level so that benefits reached everyone. Emphasising teamwork, he said coordinated and result-oriented functioning of departments would be key to translating policies into tangible outcomes.

Highlighting Kullu’s horticulture and tourism-driven economy, Sharma said focused efforts would be made to strengthen these two vital sectors. He noted that sustainable development in horticulture and tourism was essential not only for economic growth but also for ensuring livelihood security of locals. Drawing from his familiarity with the district’s terrain and socio-economic conditions, he said this understanding would help in faster decision-making and responsive administration.

The new DC also referred to recent instances of damage in certain areas of the district, stating that a detailed assessment would be undertaken to evaluate the extent of losses. Based on this review, relief and rehabilitation measures would be implemented in a timely and effective manner, ensuring transparency and accountability.

Before his posting to Kullu, Sharma was serving as Additional Deputy Commissioner in Solan. During his tenure there, he had stressed accelerating the pace of development in line with the Deputy Commissioner’s directions. An engineering graduate in Electrical Engineering from the Vellore Institute of Technology, Sharma has also worked at the national level as Assistant Secretary in the Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. He completed his probation in Chamba and has served as Assistant Commissioner Development in the Bhattiyat area.

Notably, Sharma has earlier served as Sub-Divisional Magistrate in Kullu and had also held additional charge as Additional District Magistrate for about 40 days, giving him hands-on experience of district administration.

A farewell-cum-welcome ceremony was organised by the district administration in honour of the outgoing DC Torul S Raveesh and to welcome Sharma. Raveesh, who served nearly two years in Kullu, described her tenure as fulfilling and credited inter-departmental coordination for effective governance. In his address, Sharma assured that strengthening infrastructure, resolving public grievances and ensuring timely delivery of schemes would remain central to his tenure.