M A I N   N E W S

No retirement for Hooda’s favourite babus
Pradeep Sharma
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 1
The Haryana Government today appointed outgoing Chief Secretary PK Chaudhery as Adviser (Development and Governance Reforms) making him the eighth Chief Secretary to be ‘rehabilitated’ during the nine-year tenure of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Chaudhery’s re-appointment has brought the post-retirement rehabilitation policy of the Hooda government for retired bureaucrats — under which at least 12 other officers have also been give plum postings after retirement — under a cloud.

The post-retirement rehabilitation of “blue-eyed” bureaucrats, mostly in the rank of Cabinet minister or Chief Secretary, is virtually a drain on the state exchequer with the beneficiaries entitled to palatial official accommodation, car with red beacon, secretarial staff besides hefty pay and perks.

While the post-retirement rehabilitation of favourite bureaucrats has been a routine affair in Haryana over the years, it picked up momentum with Hooda taking over the state’s reins in 2005. An overwhelming majority of retiring officers has managed to get plum postings during his tenure, brewing resentment in a section of the bureaucracy.

The state Information Commission has been favourite parking place for retired bureaucrats with former Chief Secretary G Madhavan being appointed the first Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) in 2005. Later, Naresh Gulati went on to become the CIC. Former Chief Secretaries — Meenakshi Anand Choudhary and Urvashi Gulati — were appointed state Information Commissioners as also Sajjan Singh. Recently, another former bureaucrat Samir Mathur joined as state Information Commissioner.

Sources said former Chief Secretaries who managed to get postings after retirement are Prem Prashant (member, state Administrative Reforms Commission), Dharam Vir (state Election Commissioner), Promilla Issar (Chairman, state-level Environment Assessment Authority) and AN Mathur (Chairman, state Finance Commission).

RD Sheokand has been the Chairman of the Haryana Public Service Commission and MP Bidhlan its member. LSM Salins has been state Finance Commission member and is currently its chairman. Recently, Mohinder Kumar was appointed Vice-Chancellor of Meerpur University while JS Ahlawat was adjusted as a Haryana Human Rights Commission member. Among other officers managing plum posts are Saroj Siwach, Chairperson of the state-level Environment Assessment Authority; KS Bhoria, Chairman, Haryana Tax Tribunal; and HS Rana, Chairman, Haryana Police Complaints Authority.

Former Director-General of Police RS Dalal was recently given extension as Director-General of the Haryana Institute of Public Administration, Gurgaon. Another retired police officer, PV Rathee, was re-employed as Principal Adviser (Law and Order).

Yet another IAS officer who benefited from the Hooda government’s liberal policy of accommodating former bureaucrats was RN Prashar, who was first appointed as Adviser (Irrigation) and later as Chairman of the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC).