The Punjab government has forwarded a new panel of three IAS officers to the Chandigarh administration for the critical post of finance secretary. The officers included in the panel are Basant Garg, Diprava Lakra, and Daljit Singh Mangat, all of whom are Punjab cadre officers from the 2005 batch.
The finance secretary position in Chandigarh has been vacant since June 18, following the departure of Vijay Namdeorao Zade, a 2002 batch Punjab cadre IAS officer. Zade’s tenure was initially set to end in May 2024, but it was extended by one month to accommodate the Lok Sabha elections, during which he served as the chief electoral officer of Chandigarh.
Basant Garg, one of the officers in the new panel, is currently on central government deputation, with his term expected to end on September 10.
This development follows the Union Ministry of Home Affairs’ rejection of a previous panel submitted by the Punjab government, which included officers from the 2006, 2007, and 2008 batches. The ministry had requested a fresh list, prompting this latest submission.
In addition to the finance secretary post, the Chandigarh administration is also awaiting a new panel of names from the Punjab government for the position of municipal corporation commissioner. The position has been vacant since August 22, when the deputation period of IAS officer Anindita Mitra concluded. The charge has since been temporarily handed over to Deputy Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh.
