Delhi CS Kumar’s extended tenure ends this month, buzz over names of his successors

NEW DELHI: The buzz over the new chief secretary of the Delhi government has gained momentum with incumbent Naresh Kumar’s extended tenure scheduled to conclude by the end of this month, officials said on Tuesday.

Kumar, whose retirement was due in November 2023, was given back to back extensions by the Centre. His current extension ends on August 31.

“Although there was no clarity whether Kumar will get another extension on the post, names of several senior IAS officers of AGMUT cadre, including Dharmendra and Puneet Kumar Goel, are taking rounds as the new chief secretary of Delhi,” said a senior officer in the city government.

Sources claimed that the Centre was contemplating on the issue. The chief secretary’s post assumes “crucial significance” in view of the Delhi Assembly polls scheduled in February 2025, said a source.

The senior most IAS officers of AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh Goa Mizoram and Union Territory) cadre included Renu Sharma, a 1988 batch IAS officer, who is currently serving as the chief secretary of Mizoram, and earlier held several important posts of secretaries of departments like Home and PWD in the Delhi government.

But her chances of becoming the next chief secretary of Delhi were thin as she was going to attain the age of superannuation in October this year, sources said.

Dharmendra, 1989 batch AGMUT cadre IAS, served earlier in the Delhi government, including on the post of principal secretary of the Home department. He is currently the chief secretary of Arunachal Pradesh.

Another IAS officer of 1989 batch of AGMUT cadre was G Narendra Kumar, who was serving as the director general of the National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad, they said. Goel, 1991 batch IAS officer, who previously served as the commissioner of erstwhile South Delhi Municipal Corporation, is also a likely candidate, they said.

Goel is currently posted in Goa as the chief secretary of the state.

Kumar, who has been at loggerheads with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) dispensation in Delhi, was given an extension of three months by the Centre in May this year on the chief secretary’s post.

He was given his first extension of six months in November, 2023, following a Supreme Court order.

The AAP government last year filed a plea in the Supreme Court against any move by the Centre to appoint, without consultation with it, the new chief secretary or extend the tenure of Kumar after due date of his retirement.

The apex court upheld the Centre’s decision to extend Kumar’s tenure by six months, ruling it was not in violation of law or the constitutional distribution of powers between the Union and Delhi

government.