Chandigarh (06.12.2024): Finally, the Chief Minister’s Office in Haryana has taken complete shape with the fresh allocation of work among four IAS officers as key officials including Chief Principal Secretary, Principal Secretary to CM and Additional & Deputy Private Secretary to CM. In addition, three senior officers belonging to Haryana Civil Services have been roped in as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) handling key responsibilities.
It may be underlined that there was a lull in the decision-making even a week after Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini took over the reins in the state and even a flip-flop was made over the appointment of Rajesh Khullar (Retd IAS: 1988: HY) as Chief Principal Secretary to the CM who was initially given a cabinet rank but order was withheld for a minor re-alignment. He was later reemployed but without the cabinet rank. Appointments of other officers too were delayed not only causing confusion but giving rise to speculations. Indianmandarins reported every development in this regard and now when all appointments are made, here are every detail of officers allocated with the responsibility to run the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
Rajesh Khullar (Retd IAS: 1988: HY): Chief Principal Secretary to CM:-
Once Khullar served on the board of the World Bank Group as India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka's representative but at the moment serving in Haryana as Chief PS to CM (a post-retirement prized position). Almost all decisions in Haryana are routed through him.
In a fresh move of work allocation he has been entrusted with these departments:-
- Administration of Justice; Ayush; Energy; Excise and Taxation; Finance, Institutional Finance & Credit Control and Planning; General Administration, Personnel & Training, Hospitality and Vigilance; Health; Home; Industries & Commerce; Information, Public Relations, Languages and Culture; Irrigation and Water Resources; Jails; Labour; Medical Education and Research; Parliamentary Affairs, Law & Legislative; Public Health Engineering; Public Works (Building & Roads); Raj Bhawan Affairs; Revenue and Disaster Management; Social Justice, Empowerment, SCs & BCs Welfare and Antyodaya (SEWA); and Town & Country Planning and Urban Estates.
- Besides these departments Khullar is overall In charge of CM’s office; Chief Minister’s Office Establishment; All matters relating to legislative Business, including legislative proposals taken before Council of Ministers and issue of Ordinances; and Subject not allotted to any other officer.
Arun Kumar Gupta (IAS: 1992: HY), Principal Secretary to CM:-
Arun Kumar Gupta has replaced V Umashankar who recently joined GoI as Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Gupta also served as the home secretary of UT Chandigarh on inter-cadre deputation during the Covid-19 period. Recently he became part of CMO core team in Haryana looking after the departments as below:-
- Civil Aviation; Co-operation; Environment, Forests & Wildlife; Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Housing for All Mines & Geology; Transport; Urban Local Bodies; Youth Empowerment and Entrepreneurship; and Works related to implementation of CM Announcements
Saket Kumar (IAS: 2005: HY), Additional Private Secretary to CM:-
Saket Kumar, Additional PS to CM had served as Director General of Industries & Commerce; Advisor for Civil Aviation; Managing Director of Haryana Medical Services Corporation; Commissioner of Food & Drug Administration and Director General of AYUSH.
In a fresh allocation he has been entrusted with these departments:
- Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; Animal Husbandry & Dairying; Development & Panchayats; Elections; Fisheries; Foreign Cooperation; Sainik & Ardh Sainik Welfare; Women & Child Development; Kurukshetra Development Board and Monitoring performance of various departments under CM Window.
Yash Pal (IAS: 2011: HY), Deputy Private Secretary to CM:-
He has been allocated with responsibilities of departments including;
- Architecture; Archives; Heritage and Tourism; Higher Education; Printing & Stationery; School Education; Sports; and Saraswati Heritage Board.
Vivek Kalia (HCS): Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to CM:- He has been entrusted with responsibilities that includes;
Sudhanshu Gautam (HCS), Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to CM:- He has been entrusted with departments including;
- Allotment of Government Houses (Except Type V, Panchkula); CM Announcements; CM Relief Fund; HRDF & other sanctions; HRMS & Online Transfer Policy; and Waqf Board.
Rakesh Sandhu (HCS): Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to CM:- He is responsible for;
- CM Window and
- Grievances.
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