Anurag Verma assumes charge as Punjab’s 42nd chief secretary

Janjua and other senior officers, including DK Tiwari, Kumar Rahul, Malwinder Singh Jaggi, Kumar Rahul and Sonali Giri, were present at the Punjab Civil Secretariat when Verma took charge.

After assuring the charge as Chief Secretary, Verma said there will be a major thrust on health and education sectors along with all round development of the state.

Punjab, being a border state and food bowl of the country, assumes a lot of significance for the entire country, he said. With the support of all civil and police officers and government employees, Punjab will be made a front-ranking state in the country, he added.

The IAS officer, who belongs to Patiala in Punjab, had earlier served as deputy commissioner of Bathinda, Ludhiana and Jalandhar districts.

Replying to a question on funds pending with the Centre, he said he was quite hopeful of convincing the Union government and getting it released for the state’s development.

Asked whether the state government will move the Supreme Court over the pending rural development fund, Verma said he just took over the charge and he can respond only after holding a meeting with administrative secretaries.

The AAP government in Punjab has been accusing the BJP-led Centre of not releasing around Rs 3,500 crore of rural development fund. The state government has also been at loggerheads with the Centre over the alleged withholding of funds under the National Health Mission.

The newly appointed chief secretary said he will discharge his duty with due diligence and devotion to ensure the well-being of every section of society. He said that major thrust will also be laid on implementing the state government’s citizen centric and development oriented policies with feedback from the ground level. He said that every effort will be made to percolate the benefits of the pro-people policies of the state government at the ground level. He said a viable mechanism will be evolved for resolving public grievances promptly.