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Journalism of Courage
Three days before outgoing Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena was scheduled to retire, the state IAS Officers’ Association organised a farewell dinner for him at an upmarket hotel in Shimla As the officers, some of whom were in contention to succeed Saxena, gathered on March 28 and the party was just about warming up, the outgoing Chief Secretary dropped a bombshell. He was staying on for six more months at least after being granted an extension.
That the extension came barely two weeks after Saxena courted controversy over his “lavish Holi get-together” for fellow bureaucrats and their families has raised some eyebrows. On March 14, the Chief Secretary had hosted the event at the same hotel and forwarded the Rs 1.22 lakh bill to the already cash-strapped Himachal government.
With photos of the alleged bill being shared widely on social media and the BJP raising questions about alleged violation of ethical conduct, the Chief Secretary has defended his decision to forward the bill for the Holi party to the state’s General Administration Department. “I am authorised to hold such programmes. The event was held within the framework of the rules. My friends were not at the event,” Saxena told The Indian Express.
However, the BJP has asked how the state can afford such an extravagance given its poor financial condition. “It is clear that this is a gross violation of democratic spirit, ethical conduct and administrative decorum. When the state is in debt of Rs 1 lakh crore, then such events show that the government and bureaucracy have no concern with the problems of the common people,” BJP MLA and former minister Bikram Singh said in a statement, alleging that the bureaucrat had violated Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964.
Facing questions from the Opposition, a senior advisor to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukh said Saxena must treat the party as “personal” and foot the bill. “I would have suggested to the Chief Secretary to treat the party as personal and pay the bill himself … In my personal opinion, we should avoid such a thing,” Sukhu’s media advisor Naresh Chaudhary said.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Jairam Thakur, questioned the government about why Saxena was granted an extension and others in the bureaucracy “were not being given chances”.
“Most of us were quite certain he knew about the extension even before he came to the party, but he kept his cards close to his chest. Some of us were stunned, but a few others cheered on as he made the announcement,” said an officer who attended the party on March 28.
Saxena, a 1990-batch IAS officer, was born and raised in Uttar Pradesh and holds degrees in law and economics from Delhi University. Before joining the civil services, he obtained a degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
With an administrative career spanning more than three decades, Saxena started as a sub-divisional officer in Bilaspur in present-day Chhattisgarh and went on to become the deputy commissioner of Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, where he gained valuable experience in land revenue management and district administration. He served in the Union Ministry of Finance between 2008 and 2013.
Between April 2008 and July 2010, he served as the Director of the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), which housed the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) that was responsible for approving Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) proposals at then time when the alleged INX Media scam, in which then Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti were named, took place.
In 2013, he was appointed senior advisor to the Executive Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila, the Philippines, a post he went on to serve till 2016.
“Saxena has vast experience and his unique way of conveying his thoughts. For instance, in February, while addressing the opening workshop of Thematic Groups for preparing a Climate Change Index and Human Development Report (HDR) in collaboration with the UNDP in Shimla, he remarked that discussions on climate change and HDR should not remain confined to the cosy rooms of five-star hotels. They should reach villages, roads, and common people, leaving many in the audience visibly uncomfortable,” said a source in the government.
Seen to be close to Sukhu, Saxena was appointed Chief Secretary on January 1, 2023, superseding at least five senior IAS officers: Ram Subhag Singh (1987), Nisha Singh (1987), Ali Raza Rizvi (1988), Sanjay Gupta (1988), and K Sanjay Murthy (1989).
“Indeed, he enjoys Sukhu’s support. But his clout in the ruling party can be gauged from a December 2024 incident. During the celebrations of the state government’s two years in power, where Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri referred to Saxena in front of thousands of people, asking him to tell bureaucrats and officials that the Congress government would not be dislodged,” said a government insider.
“Our DGP and Chief Secretary are also sitting here. I want to tell our Chief Secretary that he should inform the bureaucracy and government employees that this government is not going to fall. You people hold discussions behind closed doors every day. All these leaders, supporters, and employees gathered here are witnesses to the achievements of this government,” the Deputy CM said.
