If you want lessons in post-retirement planning, turn to Chhattisgarh’s bureaucrats who have found ways and means to rehabilitate themselves by taking up plum posts after their formal innings.

Since the state was formed eight years ago, all those who retired as Chief Secretary, except for one, have managed to secure important positions such as advisor to Chief Minister, chairman of some statutory body or of some commission.

Take the case of Shivraj Singh, who retired as Chief Secretary last month. Within two days after his retirement, the BJP Government appointed the 1972 batch IAS officer as Chief Minister’s advisor, a post equivalent to that of Chief Secretary with same emoluments. He has also been made director of the Chhattisgarh State Mining Corporation. Now, there are whispers in the corridors of state secretariat about his continued clout over the administration.

His predecessor R P Bagai was tipped to be accommodated in the Cooperative Tribunal but it did not materialise.

Another former Chief Secretary A K Vijayvargiya became the state’s first Chief Information Commissioner while his predecessor S K Mishra is chairman of the Electricity Regulatory Commission.

Arun Kumar, who became the first Chief Secretary following the creation of Chhattisgarh in November 2000, later took up his post-retirement job as chairman of State Administrative Reforms Commission, which was set up by the previous Ajit Jogi Government.

When IAS officers have their way, can their Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFS) brethren lag behind?

... contd.