Haryana CMO rejig shows chief principal secy Rajesh Khullar still power centre amid buzz of shift to Centre
On Monday, the Haryana government announced a revised work distribution among officers in the CMO, reflecting a significant reshuffle.
Khullar, a retired IAS officer and a key power centre in Haryana's bureaucracy, has been assigned 16 departments—the maximum—underscoring his continued influence in the Saini administration.
Gurugram: Amid speculation that Rajesh Khullar, the chief principal secretary to the Haryana chief minister, may be headed for a significant assignment at the Centre, the state government on Monday assigned responsibilities among officers in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).
The portfolios assigned to Khullar are Home, Finance, Energy, Industries and Commerce, Town and Country Planning, Excise and Taxation, Health, Ayush, Energy, Administration of Justice, Law and Legislative Work Supervision, CMO Affairs, Public Relations, General Administration, Personnel, Revenue, and Disaster Management.
Despite his standing in the CMO, he seems to have shed some of the load. Khular had been managing 21 departments ever since CM Nayab Singh Saini returned to power following the October 2024 Assembly elections; and 17 departments in February 2024 under Saini's predecessor Manohar Lal Khattar.
Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Arun Gupta has been tasked with overseeing 11 departments, which include Civil Aviation, Co-operation, Citizens' Resources Information Department, Environment, Forests &Wildlife, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Jails, Mines and Geology Social Justice, Transport and Public Works etc. Gupta will also look after tasks such as implementing the chief minister's announcements.
Additional Principal Secretary Saket Kumar will manage nine departments, including Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Elections, Fisheries, Foreign Cooperation, Housing for All, Sainik and Ardh Sainik Welfare, Women and Child Development, and managing the Kurukshetra Development Board.
Deputy Principal Secretary Yash Pal will handle eight departments including Architecture, Archives, Heritage and Tourism, Printing and Stationery, Public Health, School Education and Sports.
Special Secretary Raj Nehru has been assigned three departments: Department of Future, Higher Education and Youth. Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Vivek Kalia will oversee two areas, specifically CM Window and Jan Samvad. OSD Rakesh Sandhu will also handle CM Window and Grievances.
OSD Sudhanshu Gautam will manage six responsibilities—CM Relief Fund, HRDF and Other Sanctions, HRMS and Online Transfer Policy, Wakf Board, Allotment of Government Houses (except Type-V, Panchkula), and CM Announcements.
Khullar's extensive portfolio and his enduring presence in the CMO reflect his deep-rooted influence in Haryana's governance. A 1988-batch IAS officer from the Haryana cadre, Khullar has been a trusted aide to both Khattar, now a Union Minister, and Saini.
Khullar graduated with a Master's degree in Physics from Panjab University in 1984, earning a gold medal, and later pursued a Master's in Public Administration from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo.
He also holds an Executive Development Programme diploma from Harvard Kennedy School.
Initially, he joined the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1987, then transitioned to the IAS in 1988, where he served in various capacities, including joint secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs (Ministry of Finance), home secretary (Haryana), municipal commissioner (Gurugram and Faridabad), and district magistrate (Sonipat and Rohtak).
Khullar's career highlights include his tenure as executive director at the World Bank from 2020 to 2023, where he represented India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka.
Repatriated to Haryana in February 2023, he retired on 31 August, 2023, and was appointed as chief principal secretary to Khattar the very next day.
In Haryana, Khullar is credited with initiatives like promoting digital governance, water conservation among farmers, and schemes to curb female foeticide. He received an Award of Excellence under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) in 2009 for creating India's first social safety umbrella, which included savings accounts, insurance, public conveniences, and night shelters.
His colleagues describe Khullar as efficient, with a knack for navigating complex files swiftly, and point to his fondness for Sufi music and Kabir bhajans.
The recent work distribution in the CMO comes as Saini continues to establish his administration following the BJP's historic third consecutive win in the October 2024 Assembly polls.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also Read: Days after UPSC refused elevation to IAS, 2 'charge-sheeted' HCS officers get plum posts in Haryana
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