Opposition party alleges state’s interests being harmed in big way
Sunil Chadha
SHIMLA:
Several top bureaucratic posts in Himachal Pradesh, including Chief Secretary, DGP and head of forest department, continue to be run on an additional charge basis, something the opposition BJP has called “unprecedented” and which could “harm the hill state’s interests in a big way”.
Coming down heavily on the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government, senior BJP leader and former Industry Minister Bikram Thakur mocked the current regime’s ‘Vyavastha Parivartan’, calling it a “change only for the worst”.
2 posts control entire administrative, police machinery
He alleged that Chief Minister Sukhu had failed to win the confidence of the Himachal bureaucracy and, therefore, was unable to make regular appointments to crucial posts such as the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP), two positions that control the entire state’s administrative and police machinery.
Currently, senior IAS officer Sanjay Gupta, who holds the post of Additional Chief Secretary, is also holding additional charge as Chief Secretary after Prabodh Saxena’s six-month extension ended on September 30. Saxena has been moved to the role of Chairman, Electricity Board.
Similarly, Ashok Tiwari, originally posted as DG (Vigilance), has been given the additional charge of DGP. The head of forest department position is also vacant, with Sanjay Sood, MD of the Himachal Pradesh Forest Corporation, currently overseeing it as an add-on responsibility.
These are not isolated cases. The Excise Department, Kangra SP and even the Vice-Chancellor post at Agriculture University, Palampur, have been functioning under temporary arrangements — some for over a year.
BJP Attacks: ‘Is This What You Call Vyavastha Parivartan?’
Targeting the Congress government, BJP leader Bikram Thakur launched a scathing attack. “The Sukhu government promised ‘Vyavastha Parivartan’,— a change in system. But this looks more like a ‘Vyavastha Vishram’ (system in pause mode). From the Chief Secretary to the DGP to university VCs, all key posts are running on borrowed time and borrowed officers,” he said.
He further alleged that the trend of giving additional charge is “not just a sign of administrative confusion but a deliberate way to control the bureaucracy.” “When an officer is not permanent, he is pliable. The government can remove him any day. This weakens decision-making and promotes fear and inefficiency,” he said.
Bikram Thakur questioned whether there were no eligible officers available or if this is a tactic to keep officers under pressure. “What message is this government sending to its bureaucracy and the people of Himachal?” he asked.
Congress says ‘appointments in final stages’
Responding to the criticism, a senior Congress leader, who requested anonymity, defended the government’s approach. “The process to appoint full-time officers is already underway. These are sensitive posts and the Chief Minister wants to ensure only the most capable and suitable officers are picked,” he said.
He termed the BJP’s allegations as “politically motivated” and pointed out that similar interim arrangements have existed under previous governments as well. “It is not unusual to have temporary charges while the government finalises names through due procedure. There’s no vacuum in governance as all departments are functioning efficiently,” he added.
