Hours after his six-month extended tenure as chief secretary concluded on Tuesday, Prabodh Saxena was appointed chairman of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) for a three-year term.
A state government notification stated that Saxena, a 1990-batch IAS officer, will work under the overall administrative control and supervision of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. His position will carry rank, status, and responsibility equivalent to that of the chief secretary.
In the reshuffle, Sanjay Gupta, a 1988-batch IAS officer, was transferred and appointed as chairman of the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board. Gupta, who previously served as chairman of the state electricity board, will also continue as chairman-cum-managing director of the Ropeways and Rapid Transport System Development Corporation.
Saxena, who was originally due to retire on March 31, had disclosed news of his six-month extension at a farewell dinner hosted by the Himachal IAS Officers Association on March 28. He was appointed chief secretary on December 31, 2022, and was considered close to Sukhu. The extension was granted after Sukhu’s intervention, though the Centre approved only six months instead of the requested one year, citing rules.
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Saxena’s career progression has faced hurdles due to a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chargesheet against him in the INX Media case, which also names former Union finance minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti. The chargesheet prevented his consideration for chairmanship of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Regulatory Commission and the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA). A public interest litigation challenging his six-month extension is still pending in the Himachal Pradesh High Court.