Face2News/Chandigarh
Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi has emerged as the strongest contender for appointment as the next Chief Commissioner of the Haryana Right to Service (RTS) Commission, with legal and administrative observers indicating that his elevation to the post after retirement appears highly probable.
The development assumes significance as the Haryana Government has already entrusted Rastogi with the additional charge of Chief Commissioner of the Right to Service (RTS) Commission, pending a regular appointment. An order issued on June 3 by the Administrative Reforms Branch of the General Administration Department placed the Commission under Rastogi’s charge with immediate effect and until further orders. No additional remuneration will be paid for the assignment.
According to Advocate and Administrative law expert Hemant Kumar, the post of RTS Commission Chief Commissioner fell vacant last month following the completion of the tenure of former Chief Commissioner T. C. Gupta.
Gupta, a retired 1987-batch IAS officer of the Haryana cadre, had been sworn in as Chief Commissioner on June 15, 2021, after being selected by a statutory committee comprising the Chief Minister, a Cabinet Minister and the Leader of Opposition. Under the Haryana Right to Service Act, the Chief Commissioner holds office for five years or until attaining the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. Gupta demitted office on May 27, 2026, upon reaching the prescribed age limit.
A Vacancy That Could Open a New Chapter
With the top post now vacant, attention has shifted to Rastogi, a 1990-batch IAS officer who currently heads Haryana’s bureaucracy as Chief Secretary. Although he was originally due to retire on June 30, 2025, the Central Government granted him a one-year extension in service till June 30, 2026.
As that extension nears its end, administrative circles increasingly view Rastogi as a natural choice for the RTS Commission’s top position, particularly because the law mandates that only an officer of the rank and status equivalent to a State Chief Secretary is eligible for appointment as Chief Commissioner.
“Rastogi fulfills every statutory qualification prescribed for the post. Unless he receives another extension in service beyond June 30, his appointment as Chief Commissioner appears a strong possibility,” Hemant Kumar observed.
A Powerful Institution for Citizen Services
Established in July 2014 under the Haryana Right to Service Act, the Commission was created to ensure timely delivery of public services and accountability within government departments.
Its first Chief Commissioner was former Haryana Chief Secretary S. C. Chaudhary, who served from 2014 to 2019. The inaugural Commission also included commissioners Sarban Singh, Amar Singh and Sunil Katyal.
In 2017, retired IAS officer Hardeep Kumar was inducted as a Commissioner and served until December 2021. Notably, no fresh Commissioner has been appointed to the Commission since then.
The law permits the appointment of one Chief Commissioner and up to four Commissioners, of whom at least two must possess the rank and status of Administrative Secretary to the State Government.
Four-Year Tenure Likely Instead of Five
If appointed, Rastogi’s tenure may not extend to the full five years ordinarily available under the statute. Since he is expected to attain the age of 61 later this month, the upper age limit of 65 years would restrict his tenure to approximately four years.
The possibility of Haryana’s serving Chief Secretary moving directly into one of the state’s most important quasi-judicial institutions is being closely watched within bureaucratic and political circles. Such an appointment would ensure continuity of administrative experience at a time when the Commission is functioning without a regular head and without any serving Commissioners.
For now, Rastogi remains at the helm of both the State administration and the RTS Commission in an additional capacity. Whether that temporary arrangement soon transforms into a full-fledged appointment could become one of the most significant administrative decisions in Haryana in the weeks ahead.
“With the post vacant, statutory eligibility in his favour, and retirement approaching at the end of June, Anurag Rastogi stands out as the most likely choice to head Haryana’s Right to Service Commission.” said Hemant Kumar
