Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi gets second extension

The Centre on Tuesday gave a second extension in service to 1990-batch IAS officer and Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi for a period of six months on the recommendation of the state government. Rastogi will continue in office till the end of this year.

Rastogi, due to retire in June last year, was given a one-year extension by the Centre at the state government’s behest, a move that was unprecedented even back then since Haryana had a convention of elevating the senior-most officer as the Chief Secretary. Rastogi’s one-year term was to end on Tuesday evening. However, the government was keen on retaining him and had made a case recommending an extension for him.

The order, passed by the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India, and received by the General Administration Department of the Haryana Government on Tuesday evening, stated that the Centre had approved Haryana’s proposal.

The order added that the Centre had granted an extension in service to Rastogi “for a period of six months from July 1 to December 31 this year in relaxation of Rule 16 (1) of AIS (DCRB) Rules, 1958”.

At least four officers, including two of Rastogi’s batch — Sudhir Rajpal and Raja Sekhar Vundru — will retire before the completion of his six-month extension. An officer of the 1990-batch, Sumita Mishra, is due to retire in January next year, meaning she still has a chance of elevation as the next Chief Secretary unless the state government has other plans.