Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, a 1980 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) of the Arunachal, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) will be new Chief Secretary of Delhi. Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) cleared the file of Srivastava’s appointment after Delhi Government sent a proposal in this regard.
Srivastava, currently holding the charge of Special Secretary and Financial Advisor of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with Government of India will replace DM Spolia who is likely to be posted as the Commissioner in the Finance Commission of Delhi. Since Spolia is yet to be empanelled with the Government of India as Secretary, he will be accommodated in his current pay scale with the Delhi Government.
Earlier, the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had ordered the transfer of nine top ranked IAS officers, including the Principal Secretary, Power Rajni Kant Verma and had also replaced the Principal Secretary Finance MM Kutty who had served as the Secretary to the then Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
With Spolia being moved out of the most powerful seat in Delhi bureaucracy, the change in the Players Building will be complete as the AAP Government wants to replace all those who were perceived close to the former regime.
Days of Spolia as the CS were numbered after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government took over the reins of Delhi. Spolia, a 1979 batch IAS officer was appointed by Sheila Dikshit as the Chief Secretary and he was considered close to the former Chief Minister.
Spolia had played a major role in the regularisation of unauthorised colonies and distribution of certificates to the resident welfare associations of 1100 unauthorised colonies.
Sources said Kejriwal has made up his mind to remove Spolia as he wanted an officer of his choice as the Chief Secretary. Srivastava had recently met the CM Delhi and that fuelled speculations that he was being appointed as the next Chief Secretary of Delhi Government.
Currently posted as Special Secretary at the Centre, Srivastava had held the post of Vice Chairman of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). Prior to being appointed as the Vice Chairman of DDA, Srivastava was the CS of Goa during
the tenure of Congress Government led by the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat. Srivastava has served in Delhi in various capacities in the national Capital.
Srivastava holds a degree in law and Masters in Botany and law and has several papers to his credit. He did a course in Infrastructure Development and Financing from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore and then did another
course in Quantitative Methods and Operational Research for Public Policy and Management from IIM Bangalore.