Shimla (01.10.2025): Resolving the uncertainty over the Chief Secretary post with an unusual bureaucratic manoeuvre, the Himachal Pradesh government late on Tuesday ordered the transfer of senior-most IAS officer Sanjay Gupta (IAS: 1988), giving his new charge in the rank, status, and responsibility equivalent to the Chief Secretary of the state.
The official notification was issued on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 late evening.
The move, outlined in a Department of Personnel notification dated September 30, 2025, effectively bypasses the naming of a new Chief Secretary following the retirement of Prabodh Saxena (IAS: 1991) and the reported denial of a further extension by the Central government.
Administrative Sleight of Hand:
The order states that Sanjay Gupta, who was serving as Chairman of the H.P. State Electricity Board Ltd., has been transferred and posted as Chairman, H.P. State Pollution Control Board. He will also continue to hold the additional charge of Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Ropeways and Rapid Transport System Development Corporation H.P. Ltd.
The crux of the decision lies in the final clause:
“Shri Sanjay Gupta, IAS (HP:1988), shall work under the overall administrative control and supervision of the Hon'ble Chief Minister and shall be equivalent in rank, status and responsibility to the post of Chief Secretary to the Government of Himachal Pradesh".
This unique provision allows the state government to place its senior-most IAS officer at the helm of the administration—under the direct supervision of the Chief Minister —without requiring the formal approval from the Union’s Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) for the substantive Chief Secretary post.
An Assertion of State Power:
The decision comes after days of speculation following the expiry of Prabodh Saxena’s extended tenure. By leaving the Chief Secretary post formally vacant and instead elevating a parallel position to an equal rank and status, the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government appears to have asserted its administrative authority amidst the ongoing Centre-State tension over key bureaucratic appointments.
(By Rakesh Ranjan)
