Senior IAS officer A.K. Sinha (IAS:1996:PB) finally retired from his bureaucratic career on January 31, but not without sparking discontent within the Punjab bureaucracy. There is a palpable sense of silent resentment and disappointment in the bureaucratic circles due to his retirement sans promotion or a posting.
This sense of sadness for him stemmed more from the treatment meted out to him before and during his retirement than from any personal popularity.
As a matter of fact, he was due to be promoted to the rank of Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) from January 1, 2026, according to the rules, but he was not granted this promotion.
Worse, in the last three months before his retirement, the Bhagwant Mann government did not even give him any new posting. It should not be forgotten that Sinha was among the officers who held the crucial Finance Department for the longest tenure under the current Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, yet he retired forlorn.
Sources say there was once strong talk about Sinha being tipped to be appointed as a permanent chairman of Powercom after his retirement. The common perception was that the state government would like to utilize his extensive experience in financial and administrative matters. However, things suddenly changed after the new Power Minister, Sanjiv Arora, took charge.
The speculation for the Powercom chairman post fell through, and Sinha was neither given any responsibility nor the expected promotion. This is being viewed as a negative message within the bureaucracy.
Officials believe that such a treatment not only affects the morale of a senior officer but also creates a sense of insecurity and uncertainty throughout the administrative system.
Many bureaucrats say that while A.K. Sinha may have avoided controversy, letting him retire without postings and promotions is against administrative traditions.
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