Shimla, May 26
The Himachal Pradesh Government on Tuesday appointed senior IAS officer Sanjay Gupta as the new Chief Secretary of the state, just five days ahead of his retirement.
The Personnel Department issued the official notification appointing Gupta, who had been serving as Acting Chief Secretary since October 2025. A 1988-batch IAS officer, Gupta is the seniormost bureaucrat in the Himachal cadre.
The appointment has triggered political and administrative discussions in the state, with speculation growing over a possible service extension. Gupta is scheduled to retire on May 31.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu entrusted him with the responsibility at a time when discussions regarding the appointment of a new Chief Secretary were already underway.
The development comes amid controversy as a petition challenging the assignment of additional charge to Gupta is pending before the Himachal Pradesh High Court. The court recently issued notice to the state government seeking its response.
The petition alleges that three FIRs, including cases related to corruption matters, are registered against Gupta. It also refers to amended vigilance clearance guidelines issued in October 2024, which recommend scrutiny of vigilance status before appointments to sensitive administrative posts.
Gupta has also faced criticism from opposition leaders over allegations linked to the Chester Hills case in Solan district. Despite the controversy, the government has formally appointed him as the Chief Secretary.
Meanwhile, IAS officer Amarjeet Singh has been given additional charge of the Town and Country Planning Department, which was earlier being handled by Sanjay Gupta.
