It's official now. Additional chief secretary water resources department Abhay Kumar is Number 2 in bureaucracy of Rajasthan.
The chief secretary Sudhansh Pant, a 1991 batch officer – a batch senior to Abhay Kumar – is going on a foreign trip to Singapore from October 6-12, 2024. He will be visiting Singapore to promote Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit to be held from 9-11 December, 2024 at Jaipur.
Pant has issued an official order nominating Abhay Kumar to deal with important and urgent matters which need the attention of chief secretary during his foreign visit.
Abhay Kumar, a 1992 batch officer, is a hard working upright and seasoned officer. He had handled several important departments like home, public relations, Panchayatiraj, rural development, finance industries and information technology among others in his 32 years of career.
Abhay Kumar is not the senior most IAS serving in Rajasthan after Sudhansh Pant. Subodh Agrawal (1988 batch) and Shubhra Singh (1989 batch) are senior to him. But both of them are posted out of secretariat. While Subodh Agrawal is serving as director general of Indira Gandhi Panchayatiraj Sansthan, Shubhra Singh is posted as chairperson of Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC).
Abhay Kumar is a silent performer. He has been working at several positions and had been a great performer. He was one of the contenders for chief secretary when Usha Sharma retired on December 31, 2023. But Sudhansh Pant, who was then working as union secretary for medical and health, was sent back to Rajasthan to become chief secretary.
According to sources in chief secretary office, last time when the charge of chief secretary went to an officer was in October 2013, when then chief secretary C K Mathew went on a 58 days leave and gave his charge to C S Rajan, who was then additional chief secretary of panchayatiraj and rural development. Mathew went on leave after BJP alleged him of being partisan to then Congress government.
Gayatri Rathore gives charge to Ambrish Kumar
Meanwhile, Gayatri Rathore, who is serving as principal secretary medical and health is also accompanying chief Sudhansh Pant on the trip to Singapore. Her charge has been given to Ambrish Kumar, who is serving as secretary medical education.
Rathore will promote Rajasthan as the hub of medical tourism and promote cost effective treatments available in Rajasthan hospitals.
Gayatri Rathore was earlier principal secretary tourism. She had been instrumental in bringing tourism back to track after the devastating Covid-19 period.
“After her visit to Singapore, we are expecting foreign patients in large numbers, who will visit Rajasthan especially Jaipur for medical treatment,” said a senior doctor.
Prakash Bhandari is a veteran journalist with over 50 years of experience. He has worked with The Times of India for 30 years and contributed to leading publications as well as international news agency AFP.
