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Uttarakhand: Senior IAS Radha Raturi can become the boss of bureaucracy, current CS Sandhu will go to the center

Radha Raturi soon replaced Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu as the new BoSS ie, Cheif Secretary of the bureaucracy. His name has been stamped. She will be the first woman IAS officer of Uttarakhand to reach this chair. Dr Sukhbir is going to get one of the posts of Secretary or Defense Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). More hope is to be made Defense Secretary. Radha of 1988 batch is the senior most IAS officer of the state in terms of All India Civil List. Due to cadre change, she was lowered to Sukhbir (1988 batch) in her batch. Right now he is handling ACS (CM-Home) and all other responsibilities. 57-year-old Radha will have enough time to work as the Chief Secretary. His retirement is on 6 March 2024.

Sukhbir Sandhu will retire on 6th July 2023. He is made Defense Secretary, which is being expected more, then he will get extension of service. Like the Cabinet Secretary and Army-Navy-Air Force Chief-Finance-Home Secretary-IB and RAW Chief, there is a provision to extend the service of the Defense Secretary for two years. The tenure of at least 2 years is also fixed. In such a situation, Dr Sukhbir can get the benefit of becoming Defense Secretary.

It is expected that the call of Sukhbir to go on deputation to the center may come anytime. With this coming, Radha will become the new head of the bureaucracy. Apart from being the Senior Most IAS, he is also the top choice of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Never been involved in controversies. Along with this, he is also popular for his behavior and simplicity. The other two ACS Manisha Panwar (1990 batch) and Anandabardhan (1992 batch) are far below him.

As soon as Radha becomes CS, two new records will be made simultaneously in terms of Uttarakhand. Not only will she be the first woman CS, but she and her husband Anil Raturi (retired from IPS cadre) will be a couple who will rise to the top (HoD) in the state in their respective cadre. Anil has retired as DGP. There will be a reshuffle in the bureaucracy as soon as Radha sits on the chair of the Chief Secretary. The home department present with him will have to be given to a senior officer.

In terms of seniority, ACS Manisha Panwar-Anandbardhan and Principal Secretary RK Sudhanshu are there, but Manisha is unwell. Whether the CM agrees on the remaining two names, cannot be said. It is also almost certain that he will also have to leave the CMO. Now he is also ACS (CM). There is usually no tradition of CS being in CMO.

Of course, for some time M Ramchandran and Subhash Kumar held both the responsibilities. Apart from the change in the CS chair, the CM is in the mood for a change in IAS and IPS as well as PCS-PPS officers. It is possible that all this will happen with changes at the top level within a week. These can include bureaucrats of almost every level.