Sunil Kumar who retired on Friday as the Chief Secretary of Chhattisgarh received an emotional send-off from Ministers and top officials at the special Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Raman Singh at the Mantralaya in Naya Raipur.
The Cabinet, at the same time, welcomed the new Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand while offering him the best wishes as he took charge at the Mantralaya.
Speaking on the occasion, Raman Singh called the services rendered by Kumar as ‘extremely valuable’ and ‘memorable’. ‘The 1979 batch IAS officer Sunil Kumar maintained humility throughout his service period. Moreover, through his simplicity and integrity, Kumar evolved a superior working culture in Chhattisgarh’, Singh remarked in his brief speech at the Cabinet. Singh further commented : ‘In general, a person in the civil services is known by his cadre and category. However, Kumar has immense capability in framing laws. The State’s flagship ‘Chhattisgarh Food and Nutrition Security Act’ and those laws pertaining to getting skill development rights for the youth were framed by Kumar by working relentlessly day in and day out.’
The former Chief Secretary Sunil Kumar in his address stated : ‘I am grateful to Chief Minister Raman Singh and his Cabinet for having faith in me to serve for Chhattisgarh. It is the responsibility of the administrative officers in a democracy to implement the policies and projects of the elected government. This makes the role of the Chief Secretary and the Cabinet even more
challenging’.
Newly appointed Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand in his address while expressing gratitude towards the Chief Minister Raman Singh stated that he would do his utmost to emerge successful in the challenging opportunity entrusted upon him.
“It is a matter of pride for me that I was born in Chhattisgarh with my education held in Raipur and getting Chhattisgarh as my ‘Karma Bhoomi’ as a civil servant”, Dhand observed.
‘There are some 5,000 IAS officers serving across the country. And probably, out of the 5,000 or 6,000 IAS officers only one or two get a chance to serve as a Chief Secretary in their home State’, he said.