The demise of Raghunandan Singh Tolia, Uttarakhand’s former Chief Secretary, founder Chief Information Commissioner of the Uttarakhand Information Commission, author and a personality involved with various initiatives including the Central Himalayan Environment Association (CHEA) of which he was presently the chairman since 2010, has elicited condolences from various sectors apart from the Government machinery. He was from the 1971 batch of UP/Uttarakhand IAS cadre and noted for having remained active especially on varied aspects of mountain society after his retirement. At the age of 69 years, the cause of his demise is stated to be cancer.
With his academic qualifications including a BSc from the University of Allahabad along with an MSc in Mathematics from the same university, MA in history from Agra University, doctorate in History from Kumaon University and PG diploma in Rural Development from the University of Reading (United Kingdom), Tolia was noted as an experienced and erudite officer of the Indian Administrative Service while in service and in his post-retirement period was known for initiatives focused on the Himalayan region, its culture, environment and developmental aspects. He had authored at least three books on the administrative history of Uttarakhand, a trilogy on various developmental events of Uttarakhand and three papers on the Right To Information among other writings. He had authored at least 21 books including three books in Hindi on varied subjects ranging from the administrative history of Uttarakhand to the historical, developmental and other aspects of this region and had remained quite active post retirement. He was also known to have got together the residents of his native village in Munsyari in Pithoragarh district to work out a n arrangement to ensure that at least some of the families remain in the village at any given time period instead of the village being abandoned due to migration. He too had maintained a residence in his village.
Tolia served on various posts including that of the State Chief Secretary from 2003 to 2005, Chief Information Commissioner of the Uttarakhand Information Commission from October 2005 to October 2010 and as the director of Uttar Pradesh Academy of Administration from March 1996 to November 2000 among varied posts at different levels in both undivided Uttar Pradesh and later in Uttarakhand.