As Himachal Pradesh continues to contend with a growing debt of over ₹1 lakh crore, the state’s Chief Secretary, Prabodh Saxena, an IAS officer of 1990 batch, has raised eyebrows with a ₹1.22 lakh bill submitted for a Holi party hosted at the state-run Hotel Holiday Home in Shimla. The gathering, which took place on March 14, included 77 IAS officers and their families, with meals and other expenses coming to a total that has now attracted public attention.
The Chief Secretary’s six-month extension, granted by the Central Personnel Department just ahead of his scheduled retirement, has also fueled concerns. As the state grapples with its financial challenges, questions have emerged about the appropriateness of such a lavish event amid ongoing fiscal pressures.
Ahead of his planned retirement on March 31, Mr Saxena hosted a Holi celebration on March 14 for IAS officers and their families at Shimla’s state-run Hotel Holiday Home. But what raised eyebrows wasn’t the festive spirit – it was the ₹1.22 lakh bill he later sent to the General Administration Department (GAD) for payment.
The detailed breakdown–
- 77 meals for IAS officers and their families at ₹1,000 per person
- 22 meals for drivers at ₹585 each
- ₹11,800 in taxi charges
- ₹22,350 in taxes and miscellaneous charges
What’s more, Mr Saxena’s farewell turned into an extended stay. In a surprising first for the state, he received a six-month extension and will now serve as Chief Secretary until September 30, 2025 – marking the first such extension ever granted in Himachal.
When asked whether the Holi lunch was an official or personal event, GAD Secretary Rajesh Sharma deflected the query, saying, “You need to ask the chief secretary only.” As for who foots the bill? Sharma said it would depend on the “final authority’s directions.”
The controversy has caught political fire, with oposition slamming the state government for “indifference to the suffering of the common people” and demanding an impartial probe and disciplinary action.
This isn’t Saxena’s first brush with controversy. His name previously surfaced in the INX Media case – a high-profile money laundering investigation involving former Union Minister P. Chidambaram. Saxena, then a senior finance ministry official, was named in the Enforcement Directorate’s chargesheet over alleged irregularities in FIPB clearances.
As Himachal Pradesh tightens its belt, the state’s highest-ranking bureaucrat may need to explain why his lunch bill doesn’t sit well with the public.
