S Gopal Puri
SHIMLA
In an unprecedented breach of the storied silence of the Indian Administrative Service, Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta today transformed the State Secretariat into a theater of defiance.
Facing a storm of corruption allegations involving high-value land deals and “benami” transactions, Gupta didn’t just defend his record—he named names, effectively declaring war on a “lobby of officers” he claims is out to dismantle his career.
The ‘Chester Hills’ Shadow
The air in the briefing room was thick with the scent of the ongoing “Chester Hills” controversy. Allegations have surfaced—mirrored in the themes of recent bureaucratic exposés—that a nexus of real estate players and top-tier bureaucrats bypassed Section 118 of the Land Reforms Act to facilitate illegal land grabbing.
Gupta, however, came armed with a different set of facts.
A House Divided: The Predecessor Factor
In a move that stunned veteran political observers, Gupta broke the unwritten code of bureaucratic solidarity by pointing fingers at his predecessors.
He alleged that a “lobby,” including former Chief Secretaries Prabodh Saxena and RD Dhiman, has been feeding misinformation to both the political opposition and central agencies.
THE PRICE OF PARANOIA
Sanjay Gupta’s press conference today was less of a briefing and more of a manifesto against institutional decay.
By framing the charges against him as a “lobby-driven hit job,” the Chief Secretary has effectively shifted the narrative from corruption to conspiracy.
The Transparency Trap
The irony of the current situation is hard to ignore. The state government recently moved to shield the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) from the RTI Act—a move that carries Gupta’s own administrative fingerprints.
When you close the windows of transparency, you shouldn’t be surprised when the public starts trying to peer through the cracks in the door.
A Crisis of Credibility
The allegations of “benami” transactions and the violation of Section 118 are not new to Himachal, but they have gained fresh teeth. By publicly accusing former top bosses of sabotage, Gupta has signaled that the “Feast of Vultures” is no longer just a book title—it is the current state of affairs in Shimla.
The Chief Minister’s “wait and watch” approach is becoming increasingly untenable. If the head of the bureaucracy is at open war with his own predecessors and the opposition, the casualty is not just the reputation of one officer—it is the administrative stability of the state.
