Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has extended the term of high level committee headed by retired IAS Ram Lubhaya by six months. The committee, set up on March 22, 2022, was mandated to give recommendations and suggestions regarding the constitution of new districts in the state. The original tenure of the committee was for six months till September 13, 2022, which was extended twice for six months each before this extension. Now it has been extended to March 21, 2024.
The committee has additional chief secretary (ACS) revenue as the member secretary with members including ACS Panchayati Raj, ACS finance or their representative not below the level of special secretary. It also has a representative from home department not below the level of special secretary.
The government has asked this committee to submit is report on reorganisation of revenue units in the newly created three divisional headquarters and 17 districts.
“Since it will take time in collection of information and then prepare report after verification, the government has decided to extend the tenure,” said a senior government official.
Who is Ram Lubhaya
Ram Lubhaya is a 1978 batch IAS officer from Rajasthan cadre. A native of Punjab, Lubhaya served at various important positions including water resources, panchayati raj, education and pwd among others in a tenure of 34 years.
Gehlot government has given important post-retirement assignments to Ram Lubhaya, who was first appointed as State Election Commissioner from 2013-2017. During this tenure Gehlot had also appointed him as the chairman of the committee formed to prepare a draft Bill on social accountability law as promised by Congress in its 2018 election manifesto.
Lubhaya committee had submitted its report and a draft Bill to the government in February 2020. Two years later, Gehlot government again made him the chairman of committee for formation new districts in September 2022.
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