New Delhi: The Centre on Saturday appointed senior IAS officer Dharmendra as the new Delhi government chief secretary.
Dharmendra, a 1989-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the AGMUT cadre, was Arunachal Pradesh chief secretary before being transferred to Delhi.
He is among the senior-most Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre officers and is taking charge as the Delhi chief secretary ahead of the assembly polls due in February.
"With the approval of the competent authority, Dharmendra, IAS (AGMUT 1989), is hereby transferred from Arunachal Pradesh to Delhi and posted as chief secretary, GNCTD, wef 01.09.2024 or with effect from the date of joining, whichever is later," according to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs order issued on Saturday.
Incumbent Naresh Kumar, a 1987-batch officer, who was given two extensions in the past, completes his tenure on August 31.
Dharmendra's appointment came on the day his predecessor's three-month extended tenure came to an end. There was speculation over a further extension in view of the polls.
Kumar, who achieved the age of superannuation last November, was given his first six-month extension after a legal battle with the ruling AAP.
As chief secretary, Kumar was at loggerheads with the AAP dispensation over a host of issues, with the ruling party fiercely attacking him and levelling allegations of corruption against him.
Dharmendra, bureaucrats in the Delhi government asserted, would require fine balancing skills, being the crucial link between the "warring" AAP dispensation and the Lt Governor's Office.
During his previous stint in the Delhi government, Dharmendra -- a civil engineer by training -- held various posts, including secretary in the revenue; irrigation and flood control; and industries departments.
He was chairman of the New Delhi Municipal Council before being transferred to Arunachal Pradesh in April 2022.
He has also served in the housing and urban affairs and the consumer affairs ministries, as development commissioner for Dadra and Nagar Haveli/Daman and Diu, and resident commissioner of Aizawl.