The Himachal Pradesh government has appointed retired IFS officer Rajiv Kumar as the new chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Rajya Chayan Aayog, Hamirpur. The Personnel Department issued an official notification on Thursday, confirming his appointment. Rajiv Kumar, a 1988 batch Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, previously served as the Chief Conservator of Forests in the state. He took charge as the department head in August 2023 and retired on July 31, 2024.
In addition to Rajiv Kumar’s appointment, two new members have also been inducted into the Hamirpur Commission. The new members include retired Navy officer Rupan Bembe, a resident of Summerhill, Shimla, and Sukhdev Singh, a 2005 batch HAS officer who has served as the Managing Director of the State Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation in Kangra. The chairman and both members have been appointed for a two-year term.
Until now, the post of chairman was being held temporarily by IAS officer RK Puruthi, who had been given an additional charge. With the appointment of Rajiv Kumar and the two members, the commission now has a fully independent leadership.
The formation of the new commission follows the state government’s decision to dissolve the previous commission after a paper leak scandal came to light. The newly formed commission is expected to oversee recruitment with greater transparency and integrity, addressing concerns that arose from the earlier incident.
