At a time when the political uncertainty has gripped Jharkhand due to withdrawal of support by the JMM and resignation tendered by chief minister Arjun Munda on January 9,the state secretariat is abuzz with rumors,the topic of discussions being top government posts which will fall vacant soon.
Among them are those of the Director General of Police and the Chief Secretary.
The DGP,GS Rath,and the Chief Secretary,SK Choudhary,are to retire on February 28 and January 31 respectivel.Since the government is in a flux,the process to start selection of their successor is yet to begin.The government names successors before the posts fall vacant.
Government sources maintain that Rath’s second in seniority,Rajiv Kumar,who is 1981 batch IPS officer, and still has over three years of service,is the natural choice.Asha Sinha,1982 batch may become DGP,Home Guards.
On his part,Rath said,”I have been satisfied with my tenure.”
If seniority is creterian,AK Sarkar will succeed Choudhary.But since Sarkar is to retire this year,the Munda government was keen to call the next in seniority RS Sharma,who is on deputation at the Centre,holding the post of Director General of Unique Identification Authority of India,as Choudhary’s successor.
But now it is not certain if the government in the making will have a similar preference.In case,Sarkar is not opted and Sharma declines to come back to this state as CS,next in seniority is Binod Agrawal and Sudhir Prasad.Among the two, Prasad,who has worked in the state for a long time and has administrative experience and three years of service left,may be the dark horse.
