Chandigarh is likely to receive at least one new Haryana Civil Services officer next week after the Haryana government sent a panel of three officers with vigilance clearance to the Union Territory administration, which is facing a shortage of officers with decision-making authority.
The panel includes Gaurav Kumar, a 2011-batch HCS officer; Pardeep Ahlawat, a 2013-batch officer; and Manav Malik, a 2019-batch officer. Kumar and Ahlawat are direct recruits, while Malik is a promotee officer currently serving in Haryana, according to information reported by the Times of India.
At least one officer is expected to be selected from the panel. The Chandigarh administration may appoint two officers because the UT has only three HCS officers on deputation at present. The possible appointments follow the recent relieving of HCS officer Inder Jeet and the continued absence of a replacement for Sumit Sihag, who was repatriated to Haryana more than six months ago.
The Haryana government has submitted vigilance clearance reports for all three officers, stating that no vigilance cases are pending against them. The clearance is part of the process before the Chandigarh administration selects officers for deputation.
The final decision will be taken by Punjab governor and Chandigarh administrator Gulab Chand Kataria. The recommendations of the Chandigarh chief secretary are expected to play a significant role in the selection, officials told the Times of India.
The shortage has operational consequences for the administration because several state-cadre officers are currently holding additional charges. The arrangement places multiple responsibilities with officers who may already be handling their regular departments, although the report does not specify the individual departments or the duration of the additional charge arrangements.
The staffing issue also reflects a difference in deputation patterns between Haryana and Punjab cadres. Over the past four years, the flow of Punjab Civil Services officers to the Chandigarh administration has remained relatively stable. Several PCS officers have completed their three-year deputation terms, while some have received extensions.
HCS officers, by contrast, have often returned to their parent cadre earlier. The Chandigarh administration has reported that nearly half a dozen HCS officers returned to Haryana within one or two years of joining the UT administration. Chandigarh had previously raised the issue of early repatriation with the Haryana government.
Deputation is central to Chandigarh’s administrative structure because the UT relies on officers drawn from its parent and participating state cadres for several senior and middle-level functions. When vacancies remain unfilled or officers return before replacements are posted, existing officials must handle additional responsibilities, potentially slowing decisions across departments.
The immediate process now depends on the UT administration’s assessment of the panel and the administrator’s approval. The next milestone will be the selection of one or two HCS officers and their subsequent appointment to Chandigarh.