Senior Haryana cadre IAS officers, who are on the verge of retirement, are said to be competing for the post of Chief Commissioner of the Right to Service (RTS) Commission following the state government initiating the process to appoint a new commissioner.

A search committee has been constituted for shortlisting candidates for the post. It is headed by Keshni Anand Arora, Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue), with TVSN Prasad, Additional Chief Secretary (Finance), and BK Kuthiala, Chairperson, Haryana State Higher Education Council, as members.

The search committee will recommend candidates for appointment as the Chief Commissioner to the statutory committee headed by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

The new Chief Commissioner, who will serve for five years or till the age of 65 years, will replace incumbent Chief Commissioner SC Chaudhary, who is slated to retire on April 15.

Besides Chaudhary, who is a former Chief Secretary, the RTS Commission currently has two other civil servants — Sarban Singh and Hardeep Kumar — as Commissioners. The other two RTS Commissioners are Amar Singh, a retired Excise and Taxation Officer, and Sunil Katyal, an advocate. The Chief Commissioner will be a serving or retired officer in the rank and status of state Chief Secretary or Secretary to the Government of India.

Since an applicant must be a serving or retired officer in the rank and status of state Chief Secretary, several retired and serving Chief Secretary level officers of the state will be in contention for the post.

Officers in the rank of Secretary to the Central Government, both serving and retired, will also be in the race for the post.