The higher you rise, the thornier your path becomes. Newly appointed Delhi Chief Secretary Dharmendra Kumar (IAS:1989:AGMUT) might be basking in the glory of donning the coveted cap of Delhi’s top bureaucratic boss but he has to trudge along a thorny path lying before him.
The task of Delhi’s Chief Secretary has often been strenuous due to the constant fights between the Delhi government led by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Lieutenant Governor (LG). With Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal cooling his heels in captivity and LG V K Saxena not allowing any let up in belligerence, Delhi’s bureaucracy is often found at the receiving end being sandwiched between the two. Thus,
Dharmendra Kumar’s most daunting task will be to navigate through these complexities and bridging the widening gap between the LG, the elected government and the bureaucracy.
The timing of his assuming the office of Chief Secretary brings fresh complications. With assembly election just round the corner and the winter to dawn in close succession, the task for Dharmendra Kumar is poised to confound. The way fog engulfs the national capital during winter season, rendering its citizens trying helplessly to navigating through invisibility, the task of pollution control is bound to test the new boss’s efficiency and acumen. It is in addition to a plethora of other issues that Delhi, being the national capital, entails. Sailing through troubled waters will not be easy for Dharmendra Kumar. Though known for his low-key demeanor, his tenure as Delhi’s Chief Secretary is sure to test his mettle as a seasoned bureaucrat and his skills of managing contradictions.
