Clarity on Next Chief Secretary Likely After CM Returns from Abroad

The six-month extension granted to incumbent Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena is set to expire on September 30, yet uncertainty continues over the appointment of his successor.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is currently on a foreign tour, and the picture is expected to become clear only after his return on September 28. Speculation is rife that the state government may seek another extension for Saxena, but reliable sources say no such request has yet been sent to the Centre.

The Union government had granted Saxena, who was due to retire on March 31, a six-month extension on March 28, despite the state’s request for only a month. His extension is currently under challenge in the Himachal Pradesh High Court, with the next hearing scheduled for October 13.

According to senior officials, if the government decides not to seek another extension for Saxena, he is likely to be appointed Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (HPERC). The selection process for the post has already been completed, though no name has been officially announced. Former Chief Secretary Ram Subhag Singh, now serving as advisor to the CM, and IAS officer Sanjay Gupta, currently Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board, are also said to be in the running.

If no further extension is sought, the race for the state’s top bureaucratic post will intensify. The CM may choose to delay a regular appointment by giving additional charge to a senior official in the interim.

Among the contenders are Sanjay Gupta of the 1988 IAS batch, the seniormost serving officer who retires next year; Kamlesh Kumar Pant (1993 batch), due to retire in 2030; and Additional Chief Secretary Omkar Chand Sharma (1994 batch), due to retire in 2027. Another 1994-batch officer, Anuradha Thakur, is currently on central deputation in New Delhi.

If Saxena is not granted another extension, one of these four officers is expected to succeed him. The decision, however, will only be clear once the Chief Minister returns to India.