The Centre has granted a second service extension to 1990-batch IAS officer Anurag Rastogi, allowing him to continue as Haryana chief secretary for another six months. The decision comes on the recommendation of the state government.
Rastogi was originally due to retire in June last year. He was given a one-year extension by the Centre at that time. That extended term was scheduled to end on Tuesday evening.
State government pushed for retention
The Nayab Singh Saini-led BJP government was keen on retaining Rastogi and had recommended that he be given a further extension. The order, issued by the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India, was received by the General Administration Department of the Haryana government on Tuesday evening.
According to the order, based on the proposal of the Haryana government, approval of the central government is granted for the extension of the chief secretary's tenure.
Our Take: Continuity over change
This decision shows that the Haryana government values administrative stability. By pushing for Rastogi's retention, the state leadership has signaled that it wants a familiar hand at the top during a critical period. In our view, extensions of this nature are not unusual, but they do raise questions about succession planning in the bureaucracy. For now, the message is clear — the government trusts Rastogi to steer the state's administrative machinery for another six months.