IAS officer Pant takes additional charge as Himachal Chief Secretary
Shimla, June 1
A 1993-batch IAS officer, Kamlesh Kumar Pant, on Monday assumed the additional charge of Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary, replacing Sanjay Gupta of the 1988 batch, who retired a day earlier.
Pant, the senior-most IAS officer, was serving as Additional Chief Secretary of Forests. The Department of Personnel has sent a panel of five senior IAS officers to the Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, for appointment as the next Chief Secretary.
Besides Pant, the panel comprised Anuradha Thakur and Onkar Sharma of the 1994 batch, and Bharat Khera and R.D. Nazeem of the 1995 batch. Thakur and Khera are currently on Central deputation, while the others are serving in the state.
The outgoing incumbent, Gupta, was appointed acting Chief Secretary on October 1, 2025, and made regular Chief Secretary on May 26, just before his retirement. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu praised Gupta's tenure, saying he served the state effectively and steered several critical decisions.
According to an official notification by the Department of Personnel: "Kamlesh Kumar Pant, Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue-cum-Financial Commissioner (Revenue), Additional Chief Secretary (Forest, Home and Vigilance) and Chairman, Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board, Shimla, shall hold the additional charge of the post of Chief Secretary to the government of Himachal Pradesh, with immediate effect, in addition to his own duties."
After assuming charge, Pant presided over a meeting with Administrative Secretaries at the Secretariat. He also called on Governor Kavinder Gupta at Lok Bhavan as a courtesy call. Pant will continue to oversee his existing responsibilities alongside his new role as the state's top bureaucrat.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Why is the panel including officers on central deputation? Thakur and Khera might be capable but how can they serve HP effectively from Delhi? Local experience matters for state-specific issues like tourism and disaster management.
Pant sahab has handled forest and revenue—two tough portfolios in a hilly state prone to landslides and forest fires. He knows the ground realities. Hope he prioritizes disaster preparedness and eco-tourism. Badhai ho! 🎉
Gupta ji retired just a day after being made regular Chief Secretary? That's some bureaucratic irony—acting for months, then confirmed for one day. Pant ji has a tough act to follow. Hope the transition is smooth for state employees.
Panel of five but only one gets the job—typical IAS game of musical chairs. Meanwhile, Himachal still struggles with apple farmers' issues and power tariff hikes. Hope Pant ji focuses on real problems, not just courtesy calls to Governor. 🤷
Pant taking additional charge while keeping his other portfolios shows how thin IAS cadre is in hill states. Central deputation should be curtailed so states don't suffer staffing crunch. Godi media won't discuss this though.
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