Former Chief Secretary Dharmendra appointed PGC chairman

Former Delhi Chief Secretary Dharmendra reappointed as Chairman of the Public Grievances Commission, just six months post-retirement.

New Delhi: Former Delhi Chief Secretary and retired IAS officer Dharmendra is set to work with the government again, just six months after his retirement. Following approval from the Lieutenant Governor, the Delhi government has appointed him as the Chairman of the Public Grievances Commission (PGC), which deals with addressing and resolving public complaints in the city.

lA 1989-batch IAS officer, Dharmendra retired on September 30, 2025. (HT Archive)

A 1989-batch IAS officer, Dharmendra (who goes by his first name) has extensive experience working in Delhi. He last served as Chief Secretary of the Delhi government from September 1, 2024 and held onto the post after the BJP came to power in Delhi. After serving for nearly a year, amid speculation that he would receive an extension, he retired on September 30, 2025.

Since then, discussions had been ongoing regarding his possible reappointment in the government. He has now been assigned to head a department focused on grievance redressal, which is among Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s priority areas.

The General Administration Department (GAD) has issued a notification confirming his appointment as PGC Chairman. His tenure will be for five years or until he attains the age of 65, whichever is earlier. According to officials, he is still residing in the official bungalow allotted to him during his tenure as Chief Secretary.

This is not the first time a former Chief Secretary has been appointed as PGC Chairman. Earlier, PK Tripathi, who served as Chief Secretary during former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s tenure, was also appointed to the post.