Lobbying for the post of a new Himachal Chief Secretary has begun in speculation that incumbent Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena (IAS:1990:HP) may be appointed as Chairman of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA). Saxena is due to retire on March 31, 2025.
This possibility of this appointment has fueled the speculation that the government may soon appoint a new Chief Secretary in the near future, leading to intense lobbying for the position.
The current RERA chief, Shrikant Baldi (Retd.IAS:1985:HP), is going to retire on December 12 this month but the process for the appointment of a new chief is yet to begin. Baldi was also the Chief Secretary before he was appointed as the RERA Chairman.
Reports suggest that Saxena may be interested in the RERA Chairman position. He has reportedly chosen to stay away from the appointment process, which adds weight to this speculation.
In the meantime, the anticipation of Saxena’s giving up his remaining term as Chief Secretary has led to hectic lobbying for the top bureaucratic post. The senior most IAS officer in the state, Sanjay Gupta (IAS:1988:HP) is learnt to be lobbying hard for this top slot. He is presently Chairman of Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Ltd (HPSEBL) and is set to retire on May 31, 2026.
Senior IAS officers Kamlesh Kumar Pant (IAS:1993:HP), currently Additional Chief Secretary (Forest), is also reported to have joined the race for the top post. He will retire on December 31, 2030.
Next in line is Anuradha Thakur (IAS:1994:HP), presently on Central deputation as Additional Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs. She will retire on April 30, 2030. Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Onkar Sharma (IAS:1994:HP) is next in seniority list.
