Haryana Chief Secretary (CS) Anurag Rastogi has got a one-year extension. He was to retire on June 30 this year. The committee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah has given this approval to the CS. The central government has sent written information about this to the state government.
The Haryana government had recommended the central government to give an extension to Rastogi. Anurag Rastogi, originally from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh (UP), is a 1990 batch IAS officer.
Earlier, like the Chief Secretaries of Himachal Pradesh and Odisha, there were speculations that the Chief Secretary of Haryana would get a six-month extension. After the one-year extension by the Center, Anurag Rastogi will now be the Chief Secretary of Haryana till June 2026.
Rastogi was made CS by bypassing seniority
In the race to become CS in the state, Sudhir Rajpal was at the top in terms of seniority, while Sumita Mishra was at number 2. But the Haryana government had made Rastogi the Chief Secretary by ignoring the seniority of both of them. When the issue of seniority was raised about 7 months ago, it was said that Sudhir and Sumita were from outside cadre. Its effect was seen here.
After Dr. Vivek Joshi was appointed Election Commissioner at the Center, the Haryana government appointed IAS TVSN Prasad as Chief Secretary. Last year, after the retirement of IAS TVSN Prasad on October 30, the government appointed Dr. Vivek Joshi, but he was late in taking charge. After which the government appointed Anurag Rastogi as the Chief Secretary of Haryana for three days from November 1 to November 3, 2024.
Anurag Rastogi’s extension shocks 3 IAS officers
Rastogi getting an extension has shocked 3 IAS officers contending for the post of Chief Secretary. Among them, the most senior 1990 batch IAS officer Anand Mohan is the Additional Chief Secretary of the Department of Wildlife and Animal Conservation and Environment. His retirement is on 31 August this year.
Apart from Anand Mohan Sharan, 1990 batch IAS officer Sudhir Rajpal and Dr. Sumita Mishra were also among the contenders. Additional Chief Secretary of Health and Women and Child Development Department Sudhir Rajpal will retire on 30 November 2026. Anurag Rastogi’s one-year extension has affected Sudhir Rajpal’s chances of becoming Chief Secretary.
If the government gives him a chance after Rastogi’s retirement next year, he will be able to become Chief Secretary only for a very short time. At the same time, 1990 batch IAS officer Dr. Sumita Mishra will retire on 31 January 2027.
The tenure of Chief Secretaries has been extended earlier as well
In Haryana, MC Gupta was the first to be given a 6-month extension from August 1996 to January 1997 during the Bansi Lal government. However, at that time the retirement age of IAS officers was 58 years, which was later increased to 60 years in May 1998. After that in the year 2013, the then Chief Secretary PK Chaudhary in the Bhupendra Hooda government was given an extension of 6 months from July 2013 to December 2013.
During the Hooda government in 2014, the former Chief Secretary of the state Shakuntala Jakhu, who was to retire on 30 September 2014, was allowed to remain in her post for 2 more months till 30 November 2014 due to the assembly elections. Similarly, the Chief Secretary before Jakhu, SC Chaudhary, who was to retire on 30 April 2014, remained Chief Secretary till 31 July 2014 due to the Lok Sabha elections.
