IAF officer’s surprise appointment marks shift in bureaucratic equations
TNR News Network
Shimla:
Senior Himachal Pradesh IAS officer Sanjay Gupta met Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday (October 2, 2025), accompanied by his wife, to express gratitude after being assigned the additional charge of Chief Secretary. The couple presented a bouquet to the Chief Minister during their courtesy call.
Gupta, a 1988-batch IAS officer and the senior-most bureaucrat in the state, was handed the additional responsibility late Wednesday night, following a sudden revision in the government’s earlier order.
Initially appointed Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board just a day earlier, his new role as Chief Secretary came unexpectedly and has triggered fresh alignments within the top administrative ranks. He has also been appointed Additional Chief Secretary for Town and Country Planning and Housing, alongside his new responsibilities.
Earlier orders reversed in late-night notification
Until Tuesday evening, it appeared that Additional Chief Secretary KK Pant was the frontrunner for the Chief Secretary’s post following the retirement of Prabodh Saxena. However, a late-night notification issued by the state government reversed course and placed Gupta in the top bureaucratic position, though in an interim capacity.
The decision is believed to have been influenced by Gupta’s seniority, with less than a year remaining until his scheduled retirement. Saxena, meanwhile, has been appointed Chairman of Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited, with rank and status equivalent to the Chief Secretary.
Reshuffle affects more top IAS officers
The state government also effected changes in other top-level postings. Onkar Chand Sharma, a 1994-batch IAS officer, was given the additional charge of Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Ropeways and Rapid Transport System Development Corporation Limited, Shimla.
KK Pant will continue to serve as Additional Chief Secretary in charge of Revenue, Forest, Home and Vigilance. In another bureaucratic shift, KK Pant, who was previously serving in the Revenue Department, has now been appointed Chairman of the State Pollution Control Board in place of Gupta.
Amid these appointments, the selection process for the Himachal Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission chairperson was also abruptly cancelled, signalling deeper administrative recalibrations underway in the state.
