The new ECs: Sandhu oversaw Uttarakhand UCC, Kumar ensured co-ops’ transparency

Sandhu was appointed Uttarakhand Chief Secretary in July 2021. It was the first bureaucratic change in the state days after the BJP’s central leadership replaced Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat with Pushkar Singh Dhami.

Before that, Sandhu was chairman of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for nearly two years. The order issued by the Uttarakhand Personnel Department for Sandhu’s appointment asked him to take charge “without delay”.

An official from Uttarakhand told The Indian Express, “Sandhu streamlined the functioning of the bureaucracy, ensured coordination between the departments and held review meetings of different departments regularly as per the expectations of the government.”

The draft UCC Bill prepared in Sandhu’s tenure was passed by the Uttarakhand Assembly on February 7, a week after he completed his term as Chief Secretary on January 31. He also monitored the re-development of Kedarnath shrine in the state.

In February, Sandhu was appointed as Secretary to the Lokpal in the Centre for a period of one year.

During Sandhu’s tenure in NHAI, arbitration disputes worth Rs 30,000 crore were resolved by conciliation, bringing a major relief to contractors and banks.

When Sandhu was transferred to Uttarakhand, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari took to X to praise his accomplishments. “…National Highways witnessed a record award, construction and dispute resolution even during challenging times of COVID-19 during his tenure…His tenure was among the best ever achieved in NHAI. His contribution for construction of oxygen plants across India will always be remembered,” Gadkari wrote.

Kumar superannuated as Cooperation Secretary on January 31. During his tenure, the Cooperation Ministry saw enactment of the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) (Amendment) Act, 2023, to enhance transparency and increase accountability in the sector. He also oversaw formation of three new national cooperative bodies — Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited, National Cooperative Organics Limited, and National Cooperative Export Limited.

He also played a crucial role in the timely launch of the CRCS-Sahara refund portal for submission of claims by the genuine depositors of four Multi-State Cooperative Societies of the Sahara Group.

Earlier, Kumar was Parliamentary Affairs Secretary at the Centre. When the Centre abrogated Article 370 in 2019, he was Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs.