Desh Deepak Verma,IAS officer of UP cadre,1978,has emerged as the frontrunner for the post of the chief secretary. The present incumbent,Atul Gupta,is to retire on March 31. Verma is currently on deputation to the Center and posted as additional secretary,Department of Food and Distribution,in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs,Food and Public Distribution. Sources close to Verma said he has been sounded out about the new assignment in UP and he is positive about it. He is likely to join the UP government next month. An official of the Department of Appointment and Personnel said the state has sent the communication to the Center requisitioning the services of Verma. It is a lifetime opportunity for any IAS officer to be the chief secretary of the state and none in the cadre would like to miss it, said an officer close to Verma. Verma,along with 16 other officers of the 1978 batch,were promoted to the chief secretary scale on January 22. Sources in the state IAS Association,however,said Vermas elevation will create many problems in the state cadre. Verma belongs to 1978 batch,there are as many as 32 officers senior to him, an officer said. Ten officers in the 1976 batch,11 in 1977 batch and an equal number in 1978 batch are senior to him. Of them,21 officers are on deputation to the Center while the rest are in UP. The state government will find it difficult to accommodate them on posts equivalent to the chief secretary,he added. Of the 16 officers of 1978 batch of UP cadre,Verma is ranked 12th. Officers senior him include Alok Ranjan,principal secretary,urban development; KK Sinha,principal secretary,revenue; GB Patniak,principal secretary to the Governor; Kapil Dev,principal secretary,cooperatives; Mohinder Singh,chairman,Noida and Greater Noida; Lov Verma,additional secretary,women and child development; Prem Naryan,adviser to Central Planning Commission; Sudhir Kumar,additional secretary,women and child welfare; Pankaj Agarwal,resident commissioner of UP in Delhi; Stuti Narain Kakkar,secretary,heavy industry and public enterprises. Government officials,however,said it is the prerogative of the chief minister to choose the chief secretary from among the equals. Earlier,Neera Yadav and the incumbent chief secretary,Atul Gupta,too,had superseded many officers when they were chosen for the top post.
