Chandigarh, June 26, 2020 (Yes Punjab News)
The appointment of Ms Vini Mahajan as Chief Secretary of the state replacing Karan Avtar Singh has not only got the state its first woman Chief Secretary but also brings the emergence of a ‘Power Couple’ which would be at the top of Police and Administrative setup in the state, a first of its kind, at least in Punjab.
The 1987 batch IAS officer, Vini Mahajan, was already wearing many hats. As Additional Secretary she was looking after Investment Promotion, Industries & Commerce, Information Technology and Governance Reforms & Public Grievances. She was also heading the Committee for purchase related to equipment for battling Covid-19 in the state.
The IPS-IAS couple enjoys the confidence of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. So much so that while appointing Gupta, a 1987 batch IPS officer as DGP, the Chief Minister preferred him over some other seniors who chose to challenge the appointment.
Appointed on February 7, 2019, Gupta’s appointment was challenged by senior IPS officers Mohammad Mustafa and Siddharth Chattopadhyay and an order quashing the appointment was passed by CAT on January 17, 2020.
The Chief Minister had then said that ‘Gupta continues to be my DGP’. The government challenged the decision in Punjab & Haryana High Court. The legal battle still continues.
This time too, the Chief Minister, while deciding on his new Chief Secretary, preferred to appoint Vini Mahajan, ignoring other IAS officers who were considered senior to her. If everything goes well, Vini Mahajan has ample time to remain at the helm of affairs, as she is due to retire in October 2024.
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KBS Sidhu, a 1984 batch IAS, was the senior most awaiting for an elevation as Chief Secretary. Sidhu who is due to retire in July 2021, was considered a strong contender for the top post.
1985 batch IAS officer Arun Goel and C Roul, due to retire in December 2022 were apparently not considered for the coveted post as both are on central deputation.
Satish Chandra, yet another 1985 batch IAS, retires in September 2020 has apparently been ignored as he would have only a few month’s time as Chief Secretary, if he was appointed now. Same seems to be the case of another 1985 batch IAS officer Kalpana Mittal Baruah. She is also set to retire in November 2020.
A name that was rumoured to be considered but could not make it was 1987 batch IAS, Viswajeet Khanna. Khanna is due to retire in June 2021.
However, today’s notification came as a surprise for one and all, as the Chief Minister has stood strong with Karan Avtar Singh and the matter ended with the former CS feeling sorry for his behavior with the Cabinet Ministers.
It was presumed that the Chief Minister had paved the way for Karan Avtar Singh to retire ‘gracefully’ on August 31, when he was due to retire, but the CM decided otherwise and appointed Vini Mahajan as Chief Secretary. Karan Avtar Singh now stands moved as Special Chief Secretary.
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