Process under way to appoint RTS Chief Commissioner

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 10

The Haryana Government has initiated the process to appoint the new Chief Commissioner of the Right to Service (RTS) Commission with the formation of a search committee for shortlisting candidates for the post.

The search committee is headed by Keshni Anand Arora, Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue), with TVSN Prasad, Additional Chief Secretary (Finance), and BK Kuthiala, Chairperson, Haryana State Higher Education Council, as members.

The search committee will recommend candidates for appointment as the Chief Commissioner to the statutory committee headed by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Usually, the search committee recommends three times the names as the vacancy.

The new Chief Commissioner, who will serve for five years or till the age of 65 years, will replace incumbent Chief Commissioner SC Chaudhary, who is slated to retire on April 15.

Besides Chaudhary, who is a former Chief Secretary, the RTS Commission currently has two other bureaucrats — Sarban Singh and Hardeep Kumar — as Commissioners. The other two RTS Commissioners are Amar Singh, a retired Excise and Taxation Officer, and Sunil Katyal, an advocate. The Chief Commissioner will be a serving or retired officer in the rank and status of state Chief Secretary or Secretary to the Government of India.

Since an applicant must be a serving or retired officer in the rank and status of state Chief Secretary, several retired and serving Chief Secretary level officers of the state will be in contention for the post.

Officers in the rank of Secretary to the Central Government, both serving and retired, will also be in the race for the post.