Vikal Sharma
Shimla/Dharamsala – The Himachal Pradesh government has formally appointed former Chief Secretary R.D. Dhiman as the new Chairman of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), while Amit Kashyap has been named a member. An official notification has been issued, ending a long-standing vacancy in the regulatory body.
As per a Cabinet decision, the RERA office will be relocated from Shimla to Dharamsala. The newly appointed members will assume their responsibilities from the Dharamsala office. This administrative shift has drawn local approval and is seen as a move to decentralize operations and bring regulatory oversight closer to regional hubs.
The appointments come in compliance with a directive from the Himachal Pradesh High Court, which had earlier imposed a fine of ₹5 lakh on the state government for prolonged delay in filling the key positions under the pretext of relocating the RERA office. The court had also warned against further postponement, prompting the government to act before the deadline of June 25, 2025.
R.D. Dhiman, a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, has previously served as the Chief Secretary and Chief Information Commissioner of the state. Known for his administrative acumen, Dhiman was among several contenders for the top post. Amit Kashyap, also a senior bureaucrat who had vied for the chairman position, has been appointed as a member of the authority.
The completion of these appointments is expected to streamline the functioning of RERA and strengthen real estate governance across Himachal Pradesh. With its headquarters now in Dharamsala, the authority is poised to provide more localized and efficient regulation of the real estate sector.
