1990 batch IAS officer Prabodh Saxena has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh. He took charge as the Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh on 2nd January of 2023. Saxena is originally from Uttar Pradesh. Till now he was on the post of Additional Chief Secretary Finance and Personnel.
After taking charge, Prabodh Saxena said that it has been only three weeks since the formation of the government. He has also got a new responsibility in the new government. He will work to take the policies of the government to the public.
Implementation of OPS first priority
His appointment as Chief Secretary has come at a time when the employees of Himachal Pradesh are waiting for the old pension scheme to be implemented after the formation of the new government. Apart from this, eight thousand crore rupees have also been sought from the central government. If the state does not get back this amount from the Centre, then the government has also prepared Plan-B for this. However, it will be revealed only in the first cabinet meeting.
Ram Das Dhiman Retirement
On December 31, Ram Das Dhiman, who was the Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh, retired. After his retirement, the orders of Prabodh Saxena were issued late on Saturday night. Significantly, after the retirement of Ram Das Dhiman, he has been appointed as the Chief Information Commissioner of Himachal Pradesh.
The Himachal Pradesh government has also appointed senior officers from Prabodh Saxena to the rank of Chief Secretary. Indian Administrative Service officers Ram Subhag Singh and Sanjay Gupta will directly report to Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu. Both these officers are senior to Prabodh Saxena. Sanjay Gupta is a 1988 batch officer, while Ram Subhag Singh Singh is a 1987 batch officer.
Directly Report to the CM
Despite the presence of senior officers in the race for the post of Chief Secretary, Prabodh Saxena’s name was already running ahead. Ram Subhag Singh, a 1987 batch officer, has been made Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister. Apart from this, he has also been given the charge of Chief Secretary Energy and Chairman of Electricity Board. Sanjay Gupta, an IAS officer of the year 1988 batch, has been appointed to the post of Public Grievance Redressal with Principal Advisor. He will hold the charge of MD, Ropeway Corporation and Chairman, State Pollution Control Board in the rank of Chief Secretary. Both these officers will report directly to the Chief Minister in place of the Chief Secretary.