CHANDIGARH: Retired IAS officer Rajesh Khullar has been appointed Chief Principal Secretary (CPS) to Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar with immediate effect. Khullar had retired yesterday. He replaces former Chief Secretary DS Dhesi, a retired IAS officer, who has been relieved of the charge of CPS.
Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal issued the order regarding Khullar’s appointment today.
Khullar, considered close to the CM, had earlier served as Principal Secretary to the CM for nearly five years, having joined in November 2015. In September 2020, the 1988-batch IAS officer was appointed Executive Director of the World Bank, Washington (US). His appointment was for three years, but he returned to the Haryana cadre in March this year and was given the charge of Financial Commissioner, Revenue (FCR), and Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of the School Education and Public Relations departments in April. Dhesi has now been appointed Principal Adviser, Urban Development. The order regarding his new appointment was issued today. The post has been created especially for him.
Dhesi is entrusted with the overall superintendence and guidance of the metropolitan development authorities in Faridabad, Gurugram, and Sonepat. He had earlier served as state Chief Secretary for four years and retired on June 30, 2019. Then he was appointed Chairman of the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission. But when Khullar went to the World Bank, Dhesi was appointed Chief Principal Secretary on October 19, 2020. Then, too, the Haryana Government had created the post especially for him, following in the footsteps of neighbouring Punjab. The terms and conditions of fresh appointments will be issued later.