Notification says electricity board chairman’s post to carry same rank, status, responsibility as Chief Secretary
TNR Special
Sunil Chadha
Shimla:
Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena retired on Tuesday (October 1, 2025) as his six-month extension ended. But hours later, in a surprise late-night move, the state government appointed him as Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Ltd (HPSEBL), a post newly elevated to carry the same rank, status and responsibilities as the Chief Secretary.
A notification issued at night by the Department of MPP & Power stated: “The Governor, Himachal Pradesh is pleased to appoint 1990-batch IAS officer Prabodh Saxena as the Chairman, HP State Electricity Board Ltd, Shimla, for a period of three years… [He] shall be equivalent in rank, status and responsibility to the post of the Chief Secretary to the Government of Himachal Pradesh.”
The decision has triggered confusion in bureaucratic circles, with several senior officers reportedly caught off guard by the unusual arrangement.
Legal hurdle made further extension difficult
Saxena, a 1990-batch IAS officer, was due to retire on March 31, 2025, but was granted a six-month extension that ended on September 30. However, a legal challenge against his extension had already made the possibility of another term unlikely.
“With the matter already under judicial scrutiny, another extension would have complicated things further. This new posting seems like a workaround — but it’s highly irregular to give someone a quasi-Chief Secretary role outside the Secretariat,” said a senior IAS officer, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Sources said the move appeared carefully crafted to retain Prabodh Saxena’s services without inviting fresh legal complications.
Bureaucratic confusion, power equation shifts
Even as the state bid farewell to Saxena with a formal ceremony on Tuesday, the government is yet to name a new Chief Secretary. Top contenders include Additional Chief Secretary KK Pant (1993 batch), who spent the day with Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, and Sanjay Gupta (1988 batch), currently in Delhi but still seen as a serious candidate.
The creation of a post equal in stature to the Chief Secretary has left the bureaucracy uncertain over the power dynamics moving forward.
“Two parallel top-level posts — one in the Secretariat, one in the Board — both with Chief Secretary rank? It’s unclear how administrative coordination will work,” said another official. The announcement is also expected to have a ripple effect across key appointments, with a wider reshuffle likely once the Chief Secretary issue is settled.
BJP slams move as ‘backdoor extension’
The BJP has strongly criticised the government’s decision, calling it a “backdoor extension” meant to bypass legal constraints and administrative norms.
Former minister and BJP leader Bikram Thakur said, “This is nothing short of institutional manipulation. If the legal matter restricted an extension, how can the same officer be given another post with same rank, status and responsibility overnight? The Congress government is destroying administrative neutrality.”
He accused the Sukhu government of favouritism and weakening the state’s bureaucracy for political convenience.
All eyes are now on Chief Minister Sukhu, who reportedly held late-night meetings at official residence Oakover to finalise the next administrative head. While KK Pant appears to have the edge, Sanjay Gupta’s seniority and persistent lobbying from Delhi cannot be ignored.
