In an important development, the Governor, KK Paul, sacked ex-Chief Secretary Rakesh Sharma from the post of Chairman of the State Revenue Council with immediate effect, on Wednesday.
Additional Chief Secretary S Ramaswami has been appointed as the new Chairman of the body. Notably, Sharma had been mired in controversy as the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) had denied him extension despite the Harish Rawat dispensation pulling out all stops to retain him in the State administration on extension. Sharma who was then made the Chief Principal Secretary to the CM by the then CM Harish Rawat ignoring DoPT's reservations, put in his papers after the President's Rule was imposed on the State. An opinion ran in the administrative circles that Sharma should have quit the chairmanship of the State Revenue Council too on his own. “It is expected that he would quit SRC too. But he chose to cling to it for reasons best known to him. By relieving him Governor made it clear that he would not brook hanky panky,” said a source privy to the Governor's office.
Rakesh Sharma shot into importance in the State's administrative roost since he turned a blue-eyed officer of all Chief Minsiters since 2010. His importance in the State bureaucracy stood the test of time as he remained close to the two CMs that followed Nishank - Vijay Bahuguna and Harish Rawat. Initially, Harish Rawat was, however, wary of the wily bureaucrat. Rawat refused to clear the decks for his promotion as the Chief Secretary. Instead, he favoured N Ravishankar for the coveted chair of the CS in 2014. later, in July 2015, Sharma was appointed the CS while his retirement was due in October 2015.
However, Rawat too fell to the charm of Sharma as he went out of his way to give him extension for three months after he had retired even at the risk of incurring displeasure of the DoPT. Annoyed by Rawat moving doggedly on the matter of extension, the DoPT relieved senior IAS Shatrughan Singh from deputation at the Centre, giving the signal to what the State Government should do. Undaunted, Rawat convened a special meeting with the Advocate General and Principal Secretary, law, to discuss things over how to give Sharma extension. later, the State Government gave him extension for three months.
Sharma called the shots during the special session of Vidhan Sabha held at Gairsain in November 2015. Taking things hard, the DoPT asked the State Government to remove Sharma from the post of Chief Secretary with immediate effect. Still fawning on Sharma, Rawat appointed him as CPS to the CM for one year. He was authorized to attend Cabinet meetings to assist the Chief Minister and sit inside the bureaucrats' gallery inside the Vidhan Sabha.
Interestingly, as the custom goes, it is the Chief Secretary who attends Cabinet meetings to assist the CM. For reasons best known to the ex-CM, he built the cult of Sharma to help him breathe down the neck of the CS. Singh's authority was undermined with Sharma calling the shots, throwing norms to the winds.
Such blatant patronage given to Sharma raised hostile eyebrows in the State bureaucracy.
Things came to such a pass that Sharma seemed to tower over Chief Secretary Singh. To show his muscle, he refused to vacate the official bungalow meant for the CS, forcing the CS to stay in the CM's residence.