A high-level committee headed by the Chief Secretary will hold a meeting here around March 20 to form a panel of three IAS officers who will be considered for the top administrative post with Rajwant Sandhu, the current incumbent, retiring by the end of this month.
The crucial meeting will be the first formal step towards finding a successor to Sandhu. Even as names of Ashok Thakur, currently on central deputation, and Sudipto Roy, Additional Chief Secretary, are doing the rounds, the possibility of the state getting a third successive woman Chief Secretary cannot be ruled out with Harinder Hira being the senior-most among those serving in Himachal. The committee, headed by Sandhu, will have the Principal Secretary, Personnel, and other senior principal secretary-level officers.
