The Himachal Pradesh government on Tuesday appointed acting chief secretary Sanjay Gupta as the chief secretary, just five days before his superannuation.
The personnel department secretary issued the notification following orders from chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. The appointment takes effect immediately and has been made “in public interest.” It comes at a time when the state government is focusing on governance reforms, infrastructure development, and administrative efficiency.
Since Gupta was scheduled to retire on May 31, the appointment has sparked speculation that the government may grant him a service extension. Discussions regarding a new chief secretary had already begun within administrative circles. However, the government ultimately chose to elevate Gupta, a 1988-batch IAS officer and the senior-most bureaucrat in the state.
Originally from Haryana, Gupta has held the additional charge of chief secretary since October 1, 2025. Born on June 5, 1966, he holds a graduate degree in civil engineering and a diploma in management.
Embroiled in Chester Hill case
Gupta’s appointment comes amid legal and political challenges. He faces serious allegations in connection with the Chester Hills luxury housing project in Solan, a multi-crore real estate development under scrutiny for suspected financial irregularities, benami dealings, and violations of Section 118 of the HP Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, which restricts land ownership by non-agriculturists. The CPI(M) and BJP have both demanded his removal, alleging that Gupta misused his position to suppress local administrative inquiries into the land deals.
Gupta has dismissed the allegations as baseless, calling them an attempt by rival bureaucrats to tarnish his image and block his potential service extension.
{{/usCountry}}Gupta has dismissed the allegations as baseless, calling them an attempt by rival bureaucrats to tarnish his image and block his potential service extension.
{{/usCountry}}High court scrutiny on integrity
The Himachal Pradesh high court issued a formal notice to the Sukhu government and Gupta, seeking a detailed response to a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the legality of his top-tier administrative posting. The court has directed the respondents to file their replies before the next hearing on July 21.
The petitioner alleges that three FIRs involving investigations and trials under the Prevention of Corruption Act have been pending against Gupta since 1996, 2008, and 2009.
The petition cites the revised vigilance clearance guidelines on October 9, 2024, which mandate that the competent authority must evaluate an officer’s vigilance status before appointing them to sensitive positions. The petitioner argued that the Supreme Court has repeatedly recognised the post of chief secretary as an “extremely sensitive” position requiring impeccable integrity.
Meanwhile, in a concurrent administrative development, Amarjeet Singh has been given the additional charge of the town and country planning department.