Who'll be the next Chief Secretary of Assam?
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Who is going to be the next Chief Secretary of Assam? This is the question which Dispur has been abuzz with these days.
Present Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna is going to retire on October 31, 2020.
Dispur has already prepared the seniority list (gradation list) of the IAS officers of the State for the selection of the next Chief Secretary of the State.
According to sources, now Dispur has been gossiping about two IAS officers – Ravi Capoor of 1986 batch (to retire on December 31, 2020) and Jishnu Barua of 1988 batch (to retire on September 30, 2022) – for the post.
Ravi Capoor is at the seventh spot in the seniority list of IAS officers. He is on Central deputation, holding the post of Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. Jishnu Barua, on the other hand, is at the 14th spot in the seniority list. Currently he is the Additional Chief Secretary for Home and Political, Revenue and Disaster Management, Assam Accord Implementation etc departments, Government of Assam. The sixth spot in the seniority list is occupied by outgoing Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna of the 1985 batch. Another 1985 batch IAS officer VS Bhaskar (to retire on July 31, 2021) is among the IAS officers occupying spots above Ravi Capoor in the gradation list, but the government is reluctant to elevate him (Bhaskar) to the post of Chief Secretary. All the other four IAS officers above Capoor in the gradation list are on Central deputation, holding key posts.
Mentionably, it is the prerogative of the Chief Minister to select the next Chief Secretary.