Confusion Over Chief Secretary Crops Up For Third Time In Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): It is for the third time that a state of confusion has cropped up about the chief secretary.

Chief Secretary Anurag Jain is going to retire on August 31. But it is not yet clear whether Jain will get an extension or a new chief secretary will be appointed.

Before this, the government’s decision on the appointment of the chief secretary came on the day of retirement of Iqbal Singh Bains and Veera Rana.

When Bains was retiring on November 30, 2022, he got an extension of six months. At that time also, there was confusion over whether Bains was going to get an extension or not.

But the order for his second extension was issued two weeks before the end of his tenure. When the then chief secretary, Veera Rana, was retiring after a six-month extension on September 30, 2024, the same situation occurred.

The order for the appointment of the Chief Secretary, Anurag Jain, was issued the day Rana was retiring. After the end of the extension of Bains, the same situation cropped up on November 30, 2023.

Rana was appointed the in-charge chief secretary a day before the retirement of Bains. But the order for a six-month extension of Rana was issued three weeks before her retirement.

The Model Code of Conduct was to be implemented for the Lok Sabha election at that time. Earlier, the order for extension of the then chief secretaries was issued a few days before their retirement.

The order for extension of the then chief secretary R Parshuram was issued two months before his retirement on March 31, 2013. Similarly, the order for extension of the then chief secretary BP Singh, who was to retire on June 30, 2018, was issued ten days before his retirement.

The similar situation has cropped up this time. It seems any decision on the issue will be taken on the day of retirement of the present chief secretary.