Kumar extended tenure ends on 31 August. The position of the Chief Secretary in the Delhi government assumes extra importance, as the person holding the post has to play the role of a bridge between the Centre and the UT government, and thus is very critical for the better administration of the national capital’s administration.

Dharmendra is currently holding the post of the Chief Secretary of Arunachal Pradesh.

The Secretariat in its earlier report pointed that Dharmendra would be an ideal successor to Delhi Chief Secretary Kumar. While working as NDMC Chairman Dharmendra moved to Arunachal Pradesh and succeeded Kumar as the Chief Secretary of the state in June 2022.

In an order, a copy of which is with The Secretariat, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said, “With the approval of the competent authority, Sh. Dharmendra, IAS (AGMUT: 1989) is hereby transferred from Arunachal Pradesh to Delhi and posted as Chief Secretary, GNCTD w.ef. 01.09.2024 or with effect from the date of joining, whichever is later.”

Dharmendra tenure will be September, 2025. His appointment comes at a time when the Centre wants to improve the governance in the national capital in view of the upcoming assembly elections due some time in February 2025.

Sources familiar with the development said the move paved the way for a significant reshuffle across the AGMUT, or central cadre, pool of bureaucrats and would impact the posting of IAS, IPS and DANICS officials in Delhi, Arunachal Pradesh and Goa, among other locations, in the coming few weeks.

A civil engineer by training, Dharmendra has been serving as chief secretary of Arunachal Pradesh since April 2022. Kumar, a 1987-batch IAS officer, was consistently at loggerheads with the AAP government in Delhi during his two-year tenure as chief secretary. His tenure, which began in April 2022, was extended twice by the Centre.

Why Delhi Chief Secretary’s role in important

In addition to being the head of the civil administration in Delhi with jurisdiction over all the civil servants posted in its government departments, the lion’s share of work related to Delhi’s daily administration goes through the chief secretary.

The post has become more significant since the enactment of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2023 as part of which the chief secretary is one of the three members of the National Capital Civil Services Authority (NCCSA), which presides over the transfer, posting and vigilance matters of civil servants posted in the city apart from the Delhi chief minister and principal secretary (home).

Many in the power corridor believe that the appointment had been in the works since the new Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, a Sikkim Cadre IAS officer and a batchmate of Dharmendra assumed the charge earlier this month.

Dharmendra’s previous positions

According to the sources, Dharmendra was on a panel of three senior IAS officers proposed for the post of Delhi chief secretary by former Union home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla prior to his retirement earlier this month.

Dharmendra has served in several posts in the capital in the past, including divisional commissioner-cum-revenue secretary, NDMC chairperson, deputy commissioner (North West Delhi), and deputy commissioner (East Delhi) in addition to secretary of the industries, environment and irrigation and flood control departments.

In addition to a five-year stint in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs as joint secretary, Urban Development, Dharmendra has also served in posts such as additional secretary in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs as well as development commissioner, Daman Diu/Dadra Nagar Haveli, and resident commissioner, Aizawl, among others.