Chandigarh, July 8
The Centre has reportedly declined the request of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to grant a three-month extension to Chief Secretary Rajan Kashyap, who retires on July 31.

The Chief Minister had written to Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, who also looks after the Department of Personnel, besides Home Affairs, seeking a three-month extension for Mr Kashyap. The argument put forth was that Mr Kashyap heads the Committee on Power Sector Reforms and an extension will ensure continuity and enable the state to complete the process of implementation of these reforms.

Sources told TNS that the Centre had declined to grant an extension to Mr Kashyap on the ground that he was neither a whole-time member of the committee on Power Reforms nor was the committee likely to submit its report within three months. It could not be confirmed if a formal letter rejecting extension has reached Chandigarh.

Mr Kashyap’s predecessor, Mr Y.S. Ratra, was given a three-month extension beyond January 31. Mr Kashyap, an officer of the 1965 IAS batch, is the second seniormost bureaucrat in the country after Cabinet Secretary Kamal Pande.