A 1990- batch -IAS officer Anurag Rastogi on Thursday assumed the charge of Haryana Chief Secretary. Two days after incumbent Chief Secretary Vivek Joshi was appointed to the Election Commission, the State Government on late Wednesday evening appointed Rastogi as the new Chief Secretary of the State.
According to a Government official statement, Rastogi has been posted as Chief Secretary, General Administration, Human Resources, Personnel and Training, Parliamentary Affairs, Vigilance Department and Secretary In-charge of Plan Coordination. He will also look after the charge of Additional Chief Secretary, Finance and Planning Department in addition to his present duties. Following his appointment, Rastogi paid a courtesy call to Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatraya in Chandigarh.
Hailing from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, Rastogi started his administrative career as SDM Narnaul on August 17, 1992, later serving as ADC, DC of Panipat and Hisar, and holding key roles as Director and Principal Secretary in multiple departments. He was appointed as Additional Chief Secretary in 2021.
The Nayab Singh Saini-led Haryana Government has once again appointed Rastogi as State’s Chief Secretary. This marks the second time in just over three months that he has been given the top bureaucratic post. Rastogi has been chosen over two senior officers of his batch, Sudhir Rajpal and Sumita Mishra, despite an ongoing challenge to their seniority by him and two other officers, Ankur Gupta (now retired) and Raja Sekhar Vundru. The dispute remains unresolved.
Rastogi is known for his clean, non-controversial image and neutrality within bureaucratic circles. He has maintained a strong presence across multiple regimes, holding key positions in different governments.
During the INLD government, he served as Deputy Commissioner of Gurugram and Panipat (twice). In the Congress-led administration, he was appointed Director of Town and Country Planning. Under the BJP’s two terms, he emerged as a trusted officer of Khattar, managing crucial portfolios throughout the party’s tenure.
Following the BJP’s return to power for a third term in October 2024, Rastogi was initially appointed Chief Secretary after the retirement of TVSN Prasad on October 31 last year. While Vivek Joshi was officially named the new CS, Rastogi was given the charge for three days before Joshi assumed office on November 4. Since then, Rastogi has held key roles in the Revenue and Finance departments. He will retire in June this year, leaving him with just over four months of service. It is said that Rastogi is likely to be picked even though he is set to retire on June 30.